I received this book for free from the library in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Source: the library
“Never Shines the Sun”
by
Seanan McGuire
It is part of the October Daye #0.4 series and is a urban fantasy in a paperback edition that was published by DAW Books on September 3, 2013 Explore it on Goodreads or Amazon
Other books in this series include [books_series]
Other books by this author which I have reviewed include Rosemary and Rue, A Local Habitation, An Artificial Night, Late Eclipses, One Salt Sea, Discount Armageddon, Home Improvement: Undead Edition, Chimes at Midnight, "In Sea-Salt Tears", Indexing, The Mad Scientist’s Guide to World Domination, Half-Off Ragnarok, Midway Relics and Dying Breeds, Games Creatures Play, The Winter Long, Sparrow Hill Road, The InCryptid Prequels, Pocket Apocalypse, Black as Blood, Blocked, White as a Raven's Wing, The Ghosts of Bourbon Street, IM, "Good Girls Go to Heaven", A Red Rose Chain, "Full of Briars", Reflections, Once Broken Faith, "Dreams and Slumbers", Shadowed Souls, Chaos Choreography, Magic For Nothing, Indigo, Every Heart a Doorway, Down Among the Sticks and Bones, The Brightest Fell, "Of Things Unknown", Beneath the Sugar Sky, Night and Silence, "Suffer a Sea-change", The Girl in the Green Silk Gown, "The Recitation of the Most Holy and Harrowing Pilgrimage of Mindy and Also Mork", Tricks for Free, That Ain't Witchcraft, "The Measure of a Monster", The Unkindest Tide, "Hope is Swift", Come Tumbling Down, Imaginary Numbers, "Follow the Lady", In an Absent Dream, "The Fixed Stars", "Forbid the Sea", "No Sooner Met", Across the Green Grass Fields, A Killing Frost, "Shine in Pearl", When Sorrows Come, "And with Reveling", "Singing the Comic-Con Blues”, "Candles and Starlight", "Such Dangerous Seas", Sleep No More
A prequel in the October Daye urban fantasy series, which sees the Luidaeg confront Amy over her daughter, Toby.
This short story is currently found in the back of Chimes at Midnight and you can read my review of Chimes at Midnight on KD Did It Takes on Books. There is no eBook.
My Take
Damned frustrating is what this was. McGuire has simply left more questions. Lots more questions about why Amy was doing this. What caused her to believe this was best. How did October go from this happy seven-year-old to ??? Who is Toby’s father?
Why did the Luidaeg believe she had to stay hands-off? What is someone of Amandine’s blood supposed to do? What’s wrong?
It’s a tease is what this is, a bloody tease…!
The Story
It’s wicked what Amandine is doing to her daughter in this year, 1959, and the Luidaeg refuses to allow it any longer, refuses to allow her to do what Eira would do.
The Characters
Amy, a Dóchas Sidhe, Amandine, a daughter of Oberon, is full of lies and with a beautiful laugh. The youngest daughter who had always used her tears. Her daughter, October, is seven years old, and Amy refuses to allow her a choice.
Luidaeg, the sea witch, is Maeve’s daughter. Eira Rosynhwyr is the oldest of the Luidaeg’s still-living sisters and Titania’s eldest daughter.
Sylvester Torquill does something for October.
The Cover and Title
The cover is blue-purples and black with a pointy-eared Toby clutching a curved dagger and what looks like a fish in a book-lined room glancing to the side as if at a sudden sound.
The title feels like the Luidaeg’s life, “Never Shines the Sun” on the sea-witch.
