Chimes at Midnight

October Daye, Book 7

By: Seanan McGuire

Narrated by: Mary Robinette Kowal

Things are starting to look up for October "Toby" Daye. She's training her squire, doing her job, and has finally allowed herself to grow closer to the local King of Cats. It seems like her life may finally be settling down…at least until dead changelings start appearing in the alleys of San Francisco, killed by an overdose of goblin fruit.

Toby's efforts to take the problem to the Queen of the Mists are met with harsh reprisals, leaving her under sentence of exile from her home and everyone she loves. Now Toby must find a way to reverse the Queen's decree, get the goblin fruit off the streets - and, oh, yes, save her own life, since more than a few of her problems have once again followed her home. And then there's the question of the Queen herself, who seems increasingly unlikely to have a valid claim to the throne….

To find the answers, October and her friends will have to travel from the legendary Library of Stars into the hidden depths of the Kingdom of the Mists - and they'll have to do it fast, because time is running out. In Faerie, some fates are worse than death.

October Daye is about to find out what they are.

©2013 Seanan McGuire (P)2013 Brilliance Audio, all rights reserved.

Critic reviews

"The October Daye series has become one of my favorites, and it just keeps getting better and better." ( Fantasy Book Café)

"McGuire applies a hard-boiled mentality and a keen appreciation for mythology to a blend of politics, magic, and romance." ( Publishers Weekly)

"The October Daye series is one of those delicious worlds that becomes more and more beloved with each visit…. I couldn't be happier." ( All Things Urban Fantasy)

Book 7 is a hit!

This series is always a joy. This installment was no exception. Couldn't stop listening till it was done.

Something new in the urban fatnasy genre.

Any additional comments?

I love this series for it's incredible world building, great characters that are honest with who the are, and a story line that keeps you hungering for more.

A surprising cunundrum

I can't say that this is my favorite series but I do enjoy it and look forward to each new installment. This one is odd. I think the narrator (Mary Robinette Kowal) is quite good and has been consistent throughout the series. I like the author (Seanan McGuire) although she can be a bit repetitive, such repetition is often appropriate (at least for me). So the only thing that I can guess as to why this volume is off is the direction. I like the story and I enjoy the characters but for some reason, in this volume, Toby has taken to sounding like a young teenage girl who is convinced that she is quite cute and hilarious. It get's annoying. It is not worth NOT listening to this book but it does detract from it. It is a glaring contradiction for someone who takes on all possible guilt for anything that occurs and is quite aware that she is struggling to be in a world where she doesn't fit in as well as she would like to be sounding as if she is SURE that she is doing brilliant stand-up comedy every time she opens her mouth. My experience has been that people (most often women) who think everything out of their mouths is a brilliant quip tend to be the LEAST funny people around.

Whimsical fun read

Want a light fantasy read, this is a good pick. Fast moving, diverse characters and "powers", easy to follow and hard to put down.

Truly excellent !!!

What made the experience of listening to Chimes at Midnight the most enjoyable?

Being a big fan of Seanan McGuire, I waited none to patiently for this book to come out. I was not disappointed. The plot was excellent pulling you in immediately from the first chapter. The characters were well developed and elicited concern and compassion from the reader.

What about Mary Robinette Kowal’s performance did you like?

The narrator was excellent and greatly enhanced a very enjoyable read.

Always a hero, not always the one expected

My only complaint about this book is how abruptly it ended. I don't mind the cliffhanger, but also, I felt like the first few novels had more of an "epilogue" so to speak. There was so much action toward the end, and I felt like it cut-scened into the future without really resolving what ended up happening.

I'm thrilled to find out more about Quentin, and I think I've guessed what's going to happen with him in the future, too. There are aspects to this series that I've found to be predictable, but they always play out in ways that I find satisfactory.

I'm enjoying learning more about the Luidaeg and her history. I'm hopeful for more broadening of Toby's powers as a Dochas Sidhe. I liked her clever use of power jumping with it. I feel like there were some good social commentaries regarding goblin fruit and the current state of affairs. I also felt like the Queen in the Mists and her poor political choices were a dead ringer for today's political climate. I won't be sad if we don't really hear from her again.

Another bit about this series I'm liking is the concept of family, and how especially for Toby, blood isn't necessarily the key (which is a little ironic, all considering.) I relate to her a lot in that aspect- feeling more kindship and love toward found family (especially after essentially being abandoned by her own and the fish incident). It's nice to see someone else who struggles with that in a way that seems tangible even within a magical realism context.

Looking forward to the next book, for sure!

Very enjoyable

I am a big urban fantasy fan. I am so glad I found this series. Very enjoyable stories, likable characters, just a right mix of action and romance. I don’t want this series to end !

Good Dayes

She's back after the last book in this sires I was worried but I am very pleased to say apart from an abrupt ending this was one of my favorites.
Many secrets are answered in this book but then again that just made room for more questions.
The humor that was missing from the last book is back I laughed out load ,Danny the troll Taxi driver is in fine form as is Tibolt who is always in fine form , our heroin continues to push her body and her mind too and beyond the limits,but Toby is always up for the challenge that's why we love her.

Best in the series!

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

This is a series that must be read or listened to in order. There is drama and humor and a cast of characters that truly care about each other.

What did you like best about this story?

With every story you care more deeply about Toby and her friends.

What does Mary Robinette Kowal bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

A good voice for Toby, not so much for Tybalt.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

Toby telling Tybalt she loves him.

Any additional comments?

I can't wait for the next installment. I was hoping we would see Toby get some honors at the end of this book.

My favorite so far

So far this has been my favorite of the series.
Not too much action and some mystery to boot
I had already figured out thr big surprises but there still were some gotchas