Review: Silver and Lead

EricMesa

- 2 minutes read - 363 words

Silver and Lead by Seanan McGuire

Silver and Lead (October Daye, #19)

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

After 2 books (and a bunch of short stories) about our main characters’ lives in the “fey Matrix” we get what is essentially a book-length epilogue. Most of plot deals in fall-out from things that happened during the time period of those books (4 months, I think). In that sense, the book turned out both both interesting and disappointing. What was interesting was indeed seeing the fallout - both mental/psychological and also what some characters did which drives the plot forward. What was disappointing is that we don’t get to see much character growth or advancement of the main plot - whatever it is Amandine’s line is supposed to do to “save fairy” or whatever the Roane foresaw that made Titania and/or Eira kill them all. Also disappointing ( and especially to my wife) was the appearance ONCE AGAIN of a certain villainous character; they just keep coming back and it’s getting a bit ridiculous.

If you aren’t reading the short stories you’re REALLY missing out (and you only need to be backing Seanan McGuire’s patreon at the $1/mo level) on a lot of story for the side characters. This is especially the case with Simon Torquill. He’s had a bit of a redemption arc in the main storyline, but the bulk of his growth has been happening in the short stories. Even the novella (at the end of this book) is likely to be a bit of a shock if you haven’t been reading his POV short stories. A great deal of the merrow storyline has happened in those short stories there is so much background about what’s happening here.

The novella is a delight and definitely worth reading to see the difference in the baby situations.

Finally, I forgot if I have mentioned this in a previous review, but Marcia is definitely Maeve, right? Ever since the book where she went to Capt Pete’s area, she’s been acting and speaking cryptically and it was weird that Bucer’s magic didn’t work on her. I don’t remember if I said it then, but given where Oberon and Titania have been found….