Ashes of Honor (October Daye, #6) (October Daye Novels (Paperback))

by Seanan McGuire

New York Times-bestselling October Daye series • Hugo Award-winning author Seanan McGuire • "Top of my urban-paranormal series list!" —Felicia Day

It’s been almost a year since October “Toby” Daye averted a war, gave up a county, and suffered personal losses that have left her wishing for a good day’s sleep. She’s tried to focus on her responsibilities, but she can’t help feeling like her world is crumbling around her, and her increasingly reckless behavior is beginning to worry even her staunchest supporters.

To make matters worse, Toby’s just been asked to find another missing child…only this time it’s the changeling daughter of her fellow knight, Etienne. Chelsea, a teleporter like her father, is the kind of changeling the old stories warn about: the ones with all the strength and none of the control.  She’s opening doors that were never meant to be opened, releasing dangers that were sealed away centuries before—and there’s a good chance she could destroy Faerie if she isn’t stopped.

Now Toby must find Chelsea before time runs out, racing against an unknown deadline and through unknown worlds as she and her allies try to avert disaster. Toby thought the last year was bad.  She has no idea.

• ISBN10: 0756407494
• ISBN13: 9780756407490
• Publish Date: 4 September 2012 (first published 1 September 2012)
• Publish Status: Active
• Publish Country: US
• Publisher: Penguin Putnam Inc
• Imprint: DAW Books
• Format: Paperback (US Mass Market)
• Pages: 368
• Language: English
• URL: https://penguinrandomhouse.com/books/isbn/9780756407490

Reviews

[Quirky Cat]

Ashes of Honor is the sixth novel in the October Daye series by Seanan McGuire, and it's amazing to see how far Toby has come in this time. She's still getting herself into all sorts of trouble (no surprise there) while also being one of the most chaotic knights around.
This novel brings a whole different quest to Toby, and from an unlikely source. She's been tasked to find a missing kid (a job that hits close to home, in her case). Only the kid, Chelsea, isn't human, but a changeling. One who's never faced the changelings choice. And that makes her a risk for everyone, but even Toby is shocked by the chaos this one girl leaves in her wake.
Ashes of Honor was an amazing and perfect novel in so many aspects. I know that fans of the series are going to love this one as well, and with good reason. Here we get to see Toby at her finest, with all the danger and chaos that made us fall in love with her in the first place.

“Sometimes I wonder if it’s because you spent so long lost that you must insist on bringing every lost thing home.” (Seanan McGuire, Ashes of Honor)

Ashes of Honor ended up being everything I had hoped it would be, and so much more. And I seriously mean that. I'm not going to go so far as to say that it's my favorite in the series – I still have at least six more books to go through, after all. But it is high up there on the list.
I'll admit that I felt a little bit of trepidation at starting this novel. Not because I didn't want to see what happened next – I desperately did. But because I was still reeling, emotionally, from what happened at the end of One Salt Sea. I'm glad I just kept on reading through, it was worth it.
I think the one thing that made me love this novel right off the bat was the person who brought the job to Toby. Etienne is not a character I ever expected to hear straying from the rules, and certainly never to this extent. It sort of opened my eyes to how faerie works, and how things can happen despite the rules and best intents involved. It's fascinating.
I love how this novel took Toby (and Quentin, and Tybalt) all over the place. It was brilliant to get a chance to see some locations that we've been away from for too long. And, of course, it's always a delight to see Toby interacting with those characters.
And by the way, when I say all over the place, I really do mean it. Toby got to venture to places that she likely never even dreamed of seeing. I'm sure that we'll see some longer-term consequences for that, down the road. But only time will tell.
Chelsea is an interesting character, and while I enjoyed reading about her, what I enjoyed more was seeing the ripple effect heading out from her. The way her parents were handling things, the way people treated Toby or the situation at hand. All of it. Some of these moments really brought home situations Toby has had to face in the past. Others were mirrors for what she's facing now. It was all excellently done.
Finally, can I just say that this novel had me squealing? I hadn't expected that, given the events in the last novel. But I am so very grateful for it regardless. I swear, the more I see Tybalt, the more I adore him. And I'm certain that I'm not the only one.
In short, Ashes of Honor was brilliant, and I can't wait to get started on Chimes at Midnight. I suppose that's the nice thing about being so behind in a series, huh? Wish me luck!

For more reviews check out Quirky Cat's Fat Stacks