Rosemary and Rue

An October Daye Novel, Book 1

By: Seanan McGuire

Narrated by: Mary Robinette Kowal

Length: 11 hrs and 16 mins

Publisher's summary

The world of Faerie never disappeared: it merely went into hiding, continuing to exist parallel to our own. Secrecy is the key to Faerie’s survival—but no secret can be kept forever, and when the fae and mortal worlds collide, changelings are born. Half-human, half-fae, outsiders from birth, these second-class children of Faerie spend their lives fighting for the respect of their immortal relations. Or, in the case of October “Toby” Daye, rejecting it completely.

After getting burned by both sides of her heritage, Toby has denied the fae world, retreating into a “normal” life. Unfortunately for her, Faerie has other ideas. The murder of Countess Evening Winterrose, one of the secret regents of the San Francisco Bay Area, pulls Toby back into the fae world. Unable to resist Evening’s dying curse, which binds her to investigate, Toby is forced to resume her old position as knight errant to the Duke of Shadowed Hills and begin renewing old alliances that may prove her only hope of solving the mystery...before the curse catches up with her.

©2010 Seanan McGuire (P)2010 Brilliance Audio, Inc.

Critic reviews

"Well researched, sharply told, highly atmospheric and as brutal as any pulp detective tale, this promising start to a new urban fantasy series is sure to appeal to fans of Jim Butcher or Kim Harrison." ( Publishers Weekly)

One of my favorite series.

A great series. I go back and listen to it again in between books. Very well read and great character voices.

An interesting UF

The world built here was a bit overly complicated. It felt like I was learning something new I had to sock away for future books every other page. So it was good but man it was dense for being so short. Kowal is an awesome narrator. She did a great job.

This was an incredible listen! An amazing world!!

This story blew me away! Right from page one I was reeling. What you say... You have been a fish for 15 years because of a job gone wrong. Cursed by a dear friend to solve her murder or die trying. No pressure or anything.

Have everyone mistrust you because you were gone so long. Oh and besides a death curse someone is trying to murder Toby every day and she has no idea who or why because she is too busy trying not to get killed to find out what happened.

Shocking betrayals, heartwarming alliances and a world most defiantly worth revisiting. I highly suggest this series. It starts with a bang and never stops from the first page to the very last.

"USE THE DAMN PISTOL, GET THE FREAKING GUN"

Half way through with this book and Ive had to listen to this rediculous writer attempt to write fight scenes that are SO HORRIBLE THEY SHOULD BE BANNED!!! Other than that, the storyline is pretty good. McGuire is just bad at the action scenarios and combat sequences.

Good start to what will be an amazing series

"Sitting on the fence isn't easy. Sometimes the fence breaks, and you fall." October Daye sits on a fence. She is a changeling, which in Seanan McGuire's universe means she is half fae, Her mother is the greatest blood worker in Fairy, her father is an Irish accountant.

Changelings are the underclass in fairy, but Toby has been knighted something that upsets both many fairy nobles as well as some of the less reputable changelings. Making matters worse, 14 1/2 years ago she got turned into a fish (seriously, she was turned into a Koi and was stuck that way for 14 years).

Now she just wants to hide from fairy and work her dead end job as clerk at Safeway in the Mission district of San Francisco. But the universe is not going to let her do that (and if it did it would make for a very boring story).

An old friend calls and is killed while leaving a message, but not before casting a binding forcing Toby to "find the answers, find the reasons and find the one who caused me this harm,October Daye, daughter of Amandine, or find only your own death."

The beginning is a bit choppy as we switch from short story prologue 14 years ago to the present, but once the action gets going it doesn't let up. Interesting characters, puzzling problems, and plenty of tragedy. Not everybody lives happily ever after in this fairy tale.

“I've never liked being looked at like I was a hero. I always wind up letting someone down. Sometimes I get lucky. Sometimes the only person who gets hurt is me.”

Series Note: While I feel the series is amazing I only give this book 4 starts. It is a good book, but the series really doesn't go from good to amazing until book 3. So enjoy the first 2 books as good background material as you get ready for the great story to start in An Artificial Night!

Fairytales, mystery, danger, adventure, snarky

Fairytales, mystery, danger, adventure, and a snarky heroine, what more could a girl ever ask?
The book did go in circles just a little bit but I understand this is the authors first book and so a few bumps are to be expected. From what I read in other peoples reviews, with each book the series gets better and better.

October is a Changeling (half Faye/half human) trying to live a "normal human" life until a phone call from an old friend turns her whole world upside down and brings her full force back into the world of the Faye.

I adored the world that Seanan McGuire creates in this book. I have always enjoyed anything related to fairy's, Faye, fairytales, etc. and I loved the settings and characters here!
There are so many characters worth writing about on their own accord, I could see books popping up out of those as well.

I listened to the audiobook narrated By Mary Robinette Kowal.
Mary had a clear crisp voice and voiced Octobers emotions well, I would definitely chose to listen to her again.

I'm starting the second book right now, if that's not a recommendation I don't know what is!

Like Dresden, only different.

It doesn't take long for a Dresden fan to catch the influence of that series but it's different enough to be it's own story. It has predictable twists and turns with enough held back to keep it interesting but not so much as to take away the reason for the story. I personally like Dresden more but this is in now way a bad book.

I really do have this book

If you could sum up Rosemary and Rue in three words, what would they be?

I am excited to listen to it

What was one of the most memorable moments of Rosemary and Rue?

I am excited to listen to it

Which character – as performed by Mary Robinette Kowal – was your favorite?

I am excited to listen to it

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

I am excited to listen to it

Any additional comments?

I am excited to listen to it

Welcome to fairy

This is the start of a journey that is amazing and both joyful and sad. I t runs back and forth and to and thou and it is amazing the whole time this book throws you in and you learn to swim. It is a great ride get this book if you have time.

For young adults

It’s a fantasy/sci fi genre and takes place in a land of fairies and other creatures.