I received an ARC of A Killing Frost through NetGalley. It released on 1st September, 2020, and I’m a bit late on reviewing it because I loved the book so much I had to go back & start the whole series over so I could read it twice. And for those concerned, this is a spoiler free review. First, the deets:
A Killing Frost by Seanan McGuire
(from the NetGalley description)
When October is informed that Simon Torquill—legally her father, due to Faerie’s archaic marriage traditions—must be invited to her wedding or risk the ceremony throwing the Kingdom in the Mists into political turmoil, she finds herself setting out on a quest she was not yet prepared to undertake for the sake of her future…. and the man who represents her family’s past.
Now, the gushing. I love this series & the character of Toby Daye so much it would have taken some kind of continental-shifting change to make me dislike a new installment, so it will come as no shock that I loved this book as much as I did all the others. Moreso, actually, because I have a soft spot for stories that happen in the quiet spaces between big, world-breaking events, and Killing Frost is that kind of tale. The stakes aare high, but they’re more personal than global.
No one coming into book 14 of a series needs me to tell them who’s who and what’s what, so instead I am just going to squee vaguely about the neat things.
- This book wraps up some longstanding series plot lines in a Most Satisfying Way, but it also braids in as many new ones as it ties off, so there’s clearly much much, MUCH more to come. More Toby, more family drama, more revelations about the nature and history of Faerie.
- Toby learns some life lessons that just might stick this time!
- There’s no happily-ever-after in this world, but things end on a high note for all the characters I care about, and for at least two others I never expected to like. So now I have Complicated Feelings about about some supporting cast, and suspicions about others.
- By binge-reading the series up to here, and seeing all the reveals & twists in close chronological order, I think I’ve finally spotted a few plot lines developing. (Look for Toby’s blind spots and assumptions, that’s all I’m saying) Right now I’m enjoying the fun of speculating about who’s going to step into the spotlight next. (and why!) Right or wrong, I know I’ll be entertained.
TL;DR: THIS BOOK ROCKS AND I CANNOT WAIT TO SEE WHERE IT ALL GOES IN THE NEXT INSTALLMENT.
That’s it for this post. Until next time!