I received this book for free from in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
"Such Dangerous Seas"
by
Seanan McGuire
urban fantasy in a Kindle edition that was published by DAW Books on August 30, 2022 Explore it on Goodreads or Amazon
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", "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", Sleep No More
A short and horrible story, 16.1 in the October Daye urban fantasy series that revolves around. Sir October Daye. The focus is on the Luidaeg.
My Take
“Such Dangerous Seas” makes me want to cry, to rail against such horrors.
We “see” everything from first person protagonist point-of-view from the Luidaeg’s perspective and I am so impressed with her fortitude. I’d’ve killed somebodies!
There’s an interesting bit of history in which the Luidaeg explains the need of the Firstborn to have children. We also discover why the Luidaeg ties her hair up. And we suffer through the binding and the curse Titania lays on the Luidaeg. If that isn’t enough to make you hate Titania, you ain’t right.
We do learn about the Luidaeg’s other siblings — Titania’s and Maeve’s. It’s almost enough to make me pity Blind Michael.
I gotta say, I do not understand fae morals.
The Story
Antigone is happy at Cailleach Skerry, enjoying her Roane children and grandchildren . . . until Eira Rosynhwyr steps up her hateful campaign.
The Characters
Firtha is the youngest daughter of the Luidaeg, a.k.a. Antigone, the sea witch, and the Lady of the Lake. Ulchel, her Roane grandson, is not yet two. Aulay is his father. Tibbe is a granddaughter. Suanach is one of Merraid’s sons.
520, Cailleach Skerry was . . .
. . . home for the Roane. Ælfweard had been their human father, lured away.
523 at Brocéliande in . . .
. . . Albionn where Titania holds sway and where one day an Arthur will be crowned.
Caerleon is . . .
. . . where Maeve, the Winter Queen and the Luidaeg’s mother, holds formal court and is the stronghold to which the Luidaeg and her siblings fled as protection against Titania’s children.
568 at Celyddon in . . .
. . . Cambria where the Luidaeg met Emrys who will call her Nimue.
The Luidaeg’s brothers had included Isengrin and Mug Ruith, who was the youngest and became Blind Michael. Alswn, a Coblynau; Anglides, a.k.a. Gentle Annie; and, Raidne, from whom the Sirens are descended, are some of the Luidaeg’s sisters.
Keiko, the Nine-Tailed One, had been the Kitsune. The Ysengrimus are no more; the Lamia all but gone; nothing has been spoken of the Korrigan or the Kilmoulis; and, the Peri had been painted as monstrous.
Eira Rosynhwyr, a.k.a. Evening Winterrose, is a Firstborn of Oberon and Titania, the horror of a Summer Queen, a.k.a. the Lady of Flowers. Other Firstborns of Titania’s include Acacia and the decent Amphitrite. Malvic, Erda, and Jibvel are the three Cait Sidhe Firstborn, raised by Titania.
The Title
The title is all about “Such Dangerous Seas” as the Luidaeg encounters.
