I was once again enticed by the cover and the name Seanan McGuire blasted on it only to realize after starting it that it's BOOK SEVENTEEN IN THE SERIES (which I mistakenly thought was a standalone lmao) I do sincerly apologize for my stupidity I will come back to edit this review once I’ve started and (hopefully) caught up with the series and since I adore miss Seanan, it shouldn’t be an issue.

Another wonderful addition to the series. The journey's are getting emotional. I recommend this series a great deal.

Sleep No More is an exciting continuation of Toby Daye's adventure. Picking up right where the last book left off, this was a page-turner.

This is pure trauma in book form. This book follows the massive cliffhanger in the previous book. It almost feels as if we stop from one scene into the next, because for Toby that's how it feels. Watching our fearless leader Toby fall into a more submissive, subservient role was incredibly hard. While I didn't love the events that took place, all of it was set up perfectly by the books before it.

There were certain scenes I wish had more fleshing out. Specifically at the end. After the conclusion and before the last page I was hoping we'd get more interactions between everyone, but it was wrapped up so quickly that I was left wanting more.

If I had to come with a word to describe this book it would be wonderland. Everything was topsy turvy. I didn’t read the blurb or anything before starting Sleep No More, I just jumped straight in after the finale of Be the Serpent so at first I was really confused wondering if Toby was in a type of dream world before quickly realising everything that was happening was real. I did really enjoy this one but will be glad to have all the characters back together again so can’t for the next adventure Seanan brings!! Highly recommend for fantasy readers but make sure to read all the previous books beforehand as there’s a ton of backstory to know before starting this book.

The opening to this novel absolutely drew me in. It also confused the hell out of me. The world we are introduced to is definitely not the world Toby has been living in for the last sixteen novels. It's frankly brilliant though and as details start coming to light, it begins to make sense. I really liked the twists that McGuire was able to put on existing characters, who with a different set of memories behave in very different - yet foreseeable - ways. The characterisations of Quentin and Sylvester are particularly disturbing.

However, once the scene setting was out of the way, the novel started to fall apart. It's a lot of running around in circles, having the same discussions multiple times, getting captured and finding a way out, more running around in circles and nobody seems to have the sense of urgency that the events required. Like things need to happen now, why are you all sat around and just talking about it just in time to get captured again. It was... disappointing.

And because so much energy was spent in the middle section of the book with not a vast amount new happening, the ending was badly paced. What could have been a dramatic confrontation was relegated to a couple of pages, then wham, bam, thank you ma'am, we're onto the epilogue. Which also annoyed me. McGuire is usually excellent at showing and not telling, yet the epilogue was the complete opposite. It's very much a 'world is back to normal and let's run quickly through how all the characters now feel about it'. This could have been a heart-breaking and heart warming set of chapters, yet is reduced to what almost amounts to a line by line listing of 'how Quentin feels awful about that now, etc.'.

It doesn't help that the next novel is apparently the same darn timeline but from a different perspective. Nope, I absolutely had enough of the timeline in this perspective, I do not need another entire novel about it. Move on please. I think I'll be holding off on reading the next one until the next actual continuation of events is released. Thankfully, McGuire seems to release quite quickly, so I might not have to wait too long.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for my free review copy of this title.

Just when I was beginning to think that the October Daye series had run it's course and maybe starting to get a little stale, author Seanan McGuire (the most prolific author I'm aware of) brings us the 17th book in the series and shakes up the reality of October's world.
October "Toby" Daye has finally settled into a comfortable life and routine, comfortable with her life and lineage. But throughout her life she's ticked off more than a few powerful people, including Titania, the Summer Queen and co-creator of Faerie.
No Toby is pulled into a new reality, a creation of Titania's. On the surface it might seem as though nothing has changed, but no thing and no one is as Toby knows it. Including her closest friends and allies. This isn't just a nightmare, this is the new reality the way Titania believes it should be.
In order to survive and restore reality, Toby will need to navigate this hall of mirrors world, not knowing who to trust or to lean on, and break Titania's hold on the reality.
I think October had gotten just a little bit comfortable and had too many friends with strong personalities and powers, but now October is on her own once more ad forced to fend for herself (and the future of her friends).
Seanan McGuire is so adept at building a story and here she manages to clue us in on a familiar protagonist who is suddenly not so familiar and discovering herself and her world in a new way. Slowly we see Toby putting the pieces together and, because she's a hero (like it or not), she can't just accept the way things are.
I truly had been thinking that, with as many books as there are out there to be read, maybe the October Daye series was something I would stop reading for awhile. And then this book happened, restoring my interest in the character and series.
It's important to note, I think, that the book ends with a cliffhanger - ie: it doesn't end. You will need to read the next volume to get the conclusion to the story, and I really dislike that.
As with other books in the series, there is a short story/novelette at the back of the book that has some connection (albeit loose) to the main story. This one is "Candles and Starlight" and tells the story of how halflings, who weren't supposed to exist in Titania's new world, managed to survive. It's actually a rather powerful and poignant tale.
I'm definitely looking forward to the next volume (already on my Kindle), but disappointed that this is only part of a story.
Looking for a good book? Sleep No More by Seanan McGuire is the 17th book in the October Daye series. It's a strong, powerful story, restoring this reader's interest in the series.
I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher, through Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review.

Throughout the book, there was never a dull moment, and I thoroughly enjoyed the seamless blend of action, magic, mystery, and humor. The inclusion of emotional moments added a touching dimension to the story. Overall, "Sleep No More" proved to be a fantastic addition to the series, certain to delight fans. I'm now excited to dive into the next book, which offers Tybalt's perspective on the events, and I'm eager to experience now he perceived everything.

The October Daye series is a great read. The recapping is extensive in this one and makes the pacing tedious at times. The characters are old friends with new dilemmas which makes this a must read for series fans. The Luidaeg is the best part of the tale and I am looking forward to #18 in the hopes that we have more Toby heroically saving the day.

Joe and I share a love of Seanan McGuire's October Daye series, and while he does the honours of the full Nerds of a Feather reviews, I also found time for both of last year's double-Toby entries, Sleep No More and The Innocent Sleep. These are the 17th and 18th books in the series respectively, and they effectively act as companion novels to each other: Sleep No More follows series protagonist October - a fae changeling - as she grapples with the effects of a reality-altering mass illusion, while The Innocent Sleep breaks with series tradition to focus on her Cait Sidhe husband Tybalt, who is working against the illusion from the outside. The actual points of narrative overlap didn't set my world on fire (In one book, October thinks Tybalt looks angry! In the next book, we learn Tybalt is angry!), but the double-bill allows McGuire to let loose with the most unsavoury conventions and darkest corners of fae society in a way that brings the series full circle to its earliest vibes. There's also more time across the books to feature a wide set of supporting characters - including one unexpectedly sympathetic "recast" - who demonstrate the breadth of the series' worldbuilding. As always, I'm eager for more.

This is NOT the first book you want to read in this series. If you are interested in a snarky and reluctant hero, long-reaching plot with a bajillion dropped hints, and badass Shakespeare and folklore references....go pick up book 1, Rosemary and Rue.

Now. For those who are still with me.

Sleep No More is book 17 in the October Daye Series, and Seanan McGuire makes good on the brain-melting cliffhanger she left readers with at the end of the last installment. Toby has been dropped into a world where everyone believes Titania is a beneficent queen and the changeling daughter of Amandine's house exists to serve. She is quickly yanked out of this idyllic life with a quest that slowly forces her to recognize that this world is not her own.

What I especially like about this book is how it weaves together with The Innocent Sleep, Tybalt's POV. Because Toby and Tybalt are separated for months, the two stories are not the usual alt-POV money grab. Their stories complement each other with very few replicated scenes. And knowing what we do, what Toby doesn't know about the real world, they are all the more powerful when they do happen.

Seanan McGuire's 'Sleep No More' continues the gray urban fantasy October Daye series and follows her life in the twisted reinterpretation of Faerie cast by Titania at the end of the previous book.

Seanan's writing is straightforward as always and the style suits an urban theme, though a bit heavy handed. The characters arcs are the most compelling factor in this book, hand in hand with the story.

Thanks to NetGalley and DAW for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Half a star for the premise and the whole book; Half a star for the writing; One star for the characters; Half a star for the story; Half a star for the world-building - Three stars in total.]

A fantastic novel!

I originally requested this thinking it was an InCryptid book, as I hadn't read an October Daye one, but then decided, well, in for a penny, in for a pound -- if I was going to hop in on book 17, at least it was one where she also had amnesia and didn't know who she was!

And I don't regret it. I DID (after chapter 2) read a quick summary of the series just so I'd have some sense of who is being referred to and what was different, but it was a solid story regardless of my background knowlege. The breaking down of the illusion and the cracks of injustice as people wanted to know how things really were was fantastic, Toby's recovery of who she was without losing what she gained was beautiful, and I was along for the whole ride. The pacing was a bit slow at first -- I could have used some of the early stuff cranking up a bit faster, and maybe could have used fewer other-people-need-fixing subplots to stop the middle part from dragging a little (though given, like, the sheer number of characters important to Toby and the plot 17 books in, I understand why they were in there!), but I deeply enjoyed it.

Now more than ever I do WANT to read the rest -- I actually already own most of them in paperback, just haven't gotten around to them yet -- but I have to read the Tybalt side novel first!

I couldn’t wait to get into this new volume of October Daye’s adventures. This is one of my favorite series and I look forward to each new novel.

I was a little dubious at the start of the novel when I saw this alternate reality. There’s not much going on and I had a bit of trouble getting hooked. You don’t recognize Toby in this alternate reality. But little by little, inconsistencies appear and our heroine realizes that something is wrong. People say they know her, but she’s never seen them. Her whole life is called into question. It’s at this point that the story takes a much more interesting turn, and I couldn’t wait to find out how she was going to cope and save everyone.

Despite a rocky start, I had a great time with this novel. Poor Tybalt, whom October doesn’t even recognize. This was a rather nice, transitional tome and another follows on Tybalt. I’m intrigued to see the story from his point of view.

As a long time reader of the October Day series, I was excited about this novel because I was more than a bit put out by the cliffhanger at the end of Be the Serpent. It was worth the wait.

In Sleep No More, October is living a lie perpetrated by Titania. She has no idea of her former life, loves and self and suddenly finds herself thrust into perplexing circumstances trying to return the world to normal. As always, well-paced, well written and a thoroughly enjoyable read. Highly recommended. 5 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley and DAW for an advanced readers copy of this book.

I had a lot of anxiety about how this book would play out, and I was just about ready to give up on Toby- with- no- memories when the story turned, because Seanan is very, very good at what she does. I loved seeing who all the characters would gave become if not for Toby as hero in their lives. My only complaint was that I felt the denouement wrapped up far too quickly, taking it feel as star to 4 star read for me.

Wow, what an intense story. I now need to read Tybalts story to see what happened from his perspective. The real hero of this story is Luidaeg. She's seriously a badass.

Book Summary:

October Daye should be celebrating the momentous occasion of her marriage (getting her down the aisle was no small feat). Unfortunately, she has no memories of such a marriage. Or anyone that she had come to call dear to her.

For all October can remember, she has spent her entire life happily under the care of her parents, living alongside her beloved sister. But something is wrong, and nothing is quite as it seems. Will October find the truth, reclaim her title as a knight, and save the day?

My Review:

Ow. My poor heart. I'm pretty sure all fans went into Sleep No More expecting it to hurt. I know I did – and I wasn't wrong. After all, the story literally starts with October's happy memories all gone (along with a few concerning details). It's why I put off reading it.

I won't lie – the first few chapters of Sleep No More were hard to get through. Not because they're poorly written but because it hurt to see Toby in this situation. She's basically surrounded by people who (mostly) don't care about her, believing these horrible lies the fae love to perpetuate. Worse, she helps to spread those lies (since she was "raised" to believe them).

The good news is that once the main plot (IE, October hunting for the truth/protection of those she loves) starts changing quickly. Seeing the Toby we all know and love slowly reappear on the page was a delight, to put it simply.

If there's one thing I love about Sleep No More, it shows the depth and complexity of commands to the fae. Telling someone not to harm doesn't stop them from taking action. While kinda morbid, it was interesting to see how Titania worked around her command.

Are you ready for the really heartbreaking bit? Sleep No More has a companion novel – The Innocent Sleep. It's the same story/timeline (I believe) but from Tybalt's side. Now THAT book is going to wreck me. I plan on reading it this weekend, so don't be surprised if I'm a crying mess for the next week.

Candles and Starlight

As per usual with Seanan McGuire's works, Sleep No More contains a novella at the end. This one is called Candles and Starlight, and it follows Rayseline (yes, THAT Rayseline) through her...adventures during this time.

For context, it starts around the time Be the Serpent wraps up, with Reyseline thinking she will finally have something good happen in her life. Um. Yeah, this novella hurts, to say the least. Still, I love reading about all of the secondary (and tertiary) characters in this world, so I wasn't going to skip the chance here.

Candles and Starlight does help to add context to what is happening outside of Toby's view. Worse, it shows just how much damage Titania has done (is doing?). It also makes me wonder what sort of novella we'll get at the end of The Innocent Sleep...

Highlights:
Complex Fantasy Series
Fae Lore & Magic
Urban Fantasy
Knight of the Fae
Stubborn Main Character

Firstly, thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This is book 17 in the October Daye series, and prior to picking this up I was starting to wonder how much more we could get from this series without it becoming stale. I was very pleasantly surprised at how fresh this book felt!

Without getting into the summary of the series up until this point, this book picks up in Amandine’s tower where Toby believes she has always lived, with no memories of the side characters we’ve come to know and love throughout the series. Told from Toby’s perspective (as is usual), we also don’t know what is going on for a large chunk of this book. But this proved to be quite effective - it highlighted different, and at times new, aspects to these characters and explored how they would react in situations which are totally incompatible with the story to date, in a fun and engaging way. The stakes have never been higher, but the tone was quite different from that of some of the recent entries in this series.

If your interest in this series has been flagging recently, I highly recommend picking up at least this entry as it truly does feel incredibly fresh. Seanan McGuire has done an incredible job at breathing new life into a series after so many books!

Another fantastic installment in the October Daye series! It's a rare series that is able to go on for so many books without feeling repetitive or tiresome, but Seanan McGuire makes every book feel very worthwhile and fun.