Format: Hardcover, 384 pages
Release Date: October 24, 2023
Publisher: DAW
Source: Publisher's Finished Copy
Genre: Urban Fantasy
For one bright, shining moment, Tybalt, King of Cats, had everything he had ever wanted. He was soon to set his crown aside; he had married the woman he loved; he was going to be a father. After centuries of searching for a family of his own, he had finally found a way to construct the life of his dreams, and was looking forward to a period of peace—or at least as much peace as is ever in the offing for the husband of a hero.
Alas for Tybalt and his domestic aspirations, fate—and Titania—had other ideas. His perfect world had been complete for only a moment when it was ripped away, to be replaced by hers. Titania, Faerie’s Summer Queen, Mother of Illusions and enemy of so many he holds dear, has seized control of the Kingdom, remaking it in her own image. An image which does not include meddlesome shapeshifters getting in her way. Tybalt quickly finds himself banished from her reality, along with the Undersea and the rest of the Court of Cats.
To protect his people and his future, Tybalt must find the woman he loves in a world designed to keep her from him, convince her that he’s not a stranger trying to ruin her life for no apparent reason, and get her to unmake the illusion she’s been firmly enmeshed in. And he’ll have to do it all while she doesn’t know him, and every unrecognizing look is a knife to his heart.
For Tybalt, King of Cats, the happily ever after was just the beginning.
The Innocent Sleep by Seanan McGuire is the 18th installment in the authors October Daye series. For
one bright, shining moment, Tybalt, King of Cats, had everything he had
ever wanted. He was soon to set his crown aside; he had married the
woman he loved in front of the King and Queen of all Faerie; he was going to be a father. After centuries of
searching for a family of his own, he had finally found a way to
construct the life of his dreams, and was looking forward to a period of
peace—or at least as much peace as is ever in the offing for the
husband of a hero.
To protect his people and his future, Tybalt must find the woman he loves in a world designed to keep her from him, convince her that he’s not a stranger trying to ruin her life for no apparent reason, and get her to unmake the illusion she’s been firmly enmeshed in. And he’ll have to do it all while she doesn’t know him, and every unrecognizing look is a knife to his heart. With a little help from Raj, Ginerva, Dianda Lorden, Patrick, Simon, August, Arden and Nolan, plus Garm and Grianne, Tybalt will go on his own quest to stop Titania from permanently changing history.
Alas for Tybalt and his domestic aspirations, fate—and Titania—had other ideas. His perfect world had been complete for only a moment when it was ripped away, to be replaced by hers. Titania, Faerie’s Summer Queen, Mother of Illusions and enemy of so many he holds dear, has seized control of the Kingdom, remaking it in her own image. An image which does not include meddlesome shapeshifters getting in her way. Tybalt quickly finds himself banished from her reality, along with the Undersea and the rest of the Court of Cats.
To protect his people and his future, Tybalt must find the woman he loves in a world designed to keep her from him, convince her that he’s not a stranger trying to ruin her life for no apparent reason, and get her to unmake the illusion she’s been firmly enmeshed in. And he’ll have to do it all while she doesn’t know him, and every unrecognizing look is a knife to his heart.
For Tybalt, King of Cats, the happily ever after was just the beginning.
Alas
for Tybalt and his domestic aspirations, fate—and Titania—had other
ideas. His perfect world had been complete for only a moment when it was
ripped away, to be replaced by hers. Titania, Faerie’s Summer Queen,
Mother of Illusions and enemy of so many he holds dear, has seized
control of the Kingdom, remaking it in her own image. An image which
does not include meddlesome shapeshifters or changelings like Toby getting in her way. Tybalt
quickly finds himself banished from her reality, along with the Undersea
and the rest of the Court of Cats.
Not only has Toby memories been erased of who she really is, but the Luidaeg is missing. Arden has been replaced as Queen and is now helping changelings escape to another friendlier Kingdom. The old Queen who once banished Toby is back on her throne. Dean, and Rayseline have disappeared to another realm; and May has been forced to hold up in the Library of Stars fearing that if she leaves, she won't remember her lover, Toby, and her friends. To make matters worse, Quentin, Toby's squire, is a hateful bigot who can't stand the sight of Toby or any other changeling.
To protect his people and his future, Tybalt must find the woman he loves in a world designed to keep her from him, convince her that he’s not a stranger trying to ruin her life for no apparent reason, and get her to unmake the illusion she’s been firmly enmeshed in. And he’ll have to do it all while she doesn’t know him, and every unrecognizing look is a knife to his heart. With a little help from Raj, Ginerva, Dianda Lorden, Patrick, Simon, August, Arden and Nolan, plus Garm and Grianne, Tybalt will go on his own quest to stop Titania from permanently changing history.
*Thoughts* Even though the stories basically take place concurrently, I absolutely recommend that you read Sleep No More and The Innocent Sleep as close together as possible. Why? Because there are a few points in the story that overlap. At one point in this series, I wasn't a fan of Tybalt's, but I have since changed my mind. You can tell the love that he has for Toby, and the fact that he's gotten comfortable around May, Jasmine, and Quentin, as well as accepting Raysel spending one year under Toby's guidance. We also get a bit of Tybalt's former life in Londinium.
The new relationship between August and Toby will hopefully last. The two of them became close when Toby didn't know who she was, and that she was a hero of the realm who has saved so many lives over the course of this series. August was very protective of Toby until each learned the truth about Titania's plans. No spoilers, but as Luidaeg says, we have definitely not seen the last of Titania and I do hope that the author explains what really happened to Maeve and if she too is hiding out in the California area like Titania was and whether she will be another thorn in Toby's side.
This story is once again followed by a short novella called Doubtless and Secure. It is told from the point of view of Helmi, a Cephali who has been around for a very long time. The story starts in 1612 and ends during the course of The Innocent Sleep. It is the story about Dianda Lorden, the ruling monarch of the Duchy of Saltimist (an
undersea kingdom off the coast of California) plus when Dean and Peter arrived, and how she met her husband Patrick Twycross, son of Eira Rosynhwyr, and later how she agreed to add Simon and August to her growing family.
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