I received this book for free from the author as a free story in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Source: the author as a free story
"No Sooner Met"
by
Seanan McGuire
It is part of the October Daye #6.2 series and is a urban fantasy in a Kindle edition that was published by the author on January 7, 2015 and has 25 pages.
Explore it on Goodreads
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, “Never Shines the Sun”, 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", 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 free short story, 6.2 in the October Daye urban fantasy series, revolving around a hero changeling knight who rushes in to save the day. In this case, the focus is on Sir October Daye and Tybalt, the King of Cats.
My Take
It’s such a poetic approach to a first date, as well as into it…
“I would return to you with my hat in my hands and ask that my friend take me back, even if my lover had journeyed forever into that strange and distant country known as ‘Memory’, where never a living soul may go.”
Such a beautiful thought Tybalt has in response to one of Toby’s concerns…sigh…
There isn’t much action until the end, as it’s mostly character-driven. A first date that sounds too typical of any pair of friends as they worry over making the wrong move or what to talk about. It’s certainly a switch-up from when we first encountered Tybalt and October together!
It’s first person protagonist point-of-view from Tybalt’s perspective as he glories in this new experience with Toby. It will be that ending scene that really makes this such a perfect night, blending the cruelty of their lives with the acceptance of love.
And despite that comment from Toby about well-done steak…it is so sweet.
The Story
When an old-fashioned male who first courted in the time of Shakespeare takes his ladylove on their first date, it can be a confusion of manner, dress, and language. Whether it be the language of flowers or…
The Characters
The 350-year-old Tybalt (Rand Stratford for the evening) is the King of Cats. Raj is Tybalt’s nephew and heir as well as Quentin’s best friend. Samson had been Raj’s dad. The mortal Anne had been Tybalt’s previous love and wife. The Shadow Roads can only be accessed through the shadows and only via Cait Sidhe.
Sir October Daye is a changeling and a hero. May is Toby’s Fetch and her housemate. Jazz is a Raven Maid and May’s significant other. Quentin, a Daoine Sidhe, is October’s squire.
Jason Thomas is a cat changeling who owns Cat in the Rafters, a restaurant. Blake is a pastry chef and a changeling.
The Duchy of Shadowed Hills is ruled by Sylvester Torquill with his consort, Luna Torquill. Stacy Brown is an old changeling friend of Toby’s. The Divided Courts are a result of Oberon marrying Titania and Maeve.
The Cover and Title
The cover, as the story, begins with a bouquet of red tulips, moss roses, and purple flax in a tall white jug against a distressed orange background on the left. On the right is a distressing light as it moves toward the bouquet. At the very top is an info blurb in white as is the author’s name immediately below it. The distressed title, also in white, spans the jug. In the pocket created by the last two words of the title is a combination info and series blurb in black.
The title is part of a quote from Shakespeare’s As You Like It, and so [metaphorically] true of Tybalt and Toby, for “No Sooner Met” but they loved.
