Nothing But Reading Challenges discussion

This thread is open to discuss A Red-Rose Chain by Seanan McGuire.



Synopsis
Things are looking up.

For the first time in what feels like years, October “Toby” Daye has been able to pause long enough to take a breath and look at her life—and she likes what she sees. She has friends. She has allies. She has a squire to train and a King of Cats to love, and maybe, just maybe, she can let her guard down for a change.

Or not. When Queen Windermere’s seneschal is elf-shot and thrown into an enchanted sleep by agents from the neighboring Kingdom of Silences, Toby finds herself in a role she never expected to play: that of a diplomat. She must travel to Portland, Oregon, to convince King Rhys of Silences not to go to war against the Mists. But nothing is that simple, and what October finds in Silences is worse than she would ever have imagined.

How far will Toby go when lives are on the line, and when allies both old and new are threatened by a force she had never expected to face again? How much is October willing to give up, and how much is she willing to change? In Faerie, what’s past is never really gone.

It’s just waiting for an opportunity to pounce.

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i read chapters 1-6 today although as usual i find it difficult to say too much without giving spoilers for the whole book. i will say that i'm glad may is in this book more and i absolutely love walther as well so it's nice to see more of him. anyone else started yet?

I just started this on my break so only the 1st chpt in. But it was funny when Toby said she hasn't committed treason with this queen yet. I was laughing at that :) And those poor Mauthe Doog.

haha i know, toby's life is starting to be measured in what percentage of the local nobility she has unseated / pissed off

So ran across this on tumblr and wanted to share as it’s about this book. No real spoilers I don’t think but to be safe view after reading up to chapter 5.

http://darkfrog24.tumblr.com/post/129...

lmao i think i've seen that post before and yeah that is literally october's exact approach to 'diplomatic negotiations'. although i guess to be fair arden pretty much did send her because she knew that she would piss everyone off

i read up through chapter 14 last night. i had forgotten how fucked up this book was lol. and the fake queen is just the absolute wooorst. i honestly wish they could kill people just so all these villains could stop popping up again

Claudia wrote: "So ran across this on tumblr and wanted to share as it’s about this book. No real spoilers I don’t think but to be safe view after reading up to chapter 5.

http://darkfrog24.tumblr.com/post/129174..."

Thats awesome!

Only got thru Chpt 8 so far and did not remember (view spoiler)[that the false queen escaped! I thought she was sitting in the dungeon... Have we met Rhys before? (hide spoiler)]

Devann wrote: "lmao i think i've seen that post before and yeah that is literally october's exact approach to 'diplomatic negotiations'. although i guess to be fair arden pretty much did send her because she knew..."

Oh geez, am not that far yet but thats not good.Yes to killing some of these villains, I'm all for it!!!

@Cathy no we haven't met Rhys before, I think he was just mentioned as like 'the puppet king in Silences' or whatever, pretty sure we didn't even get a name before this.

I finished earlier today and ugh this book makes me so angry! I mean not necessarily in a bad way because it is a very well written book but Rhys and the old queen are just infuriating. Also (view spoiler)[how is this the second book I've read this week where people are being slowly dismembered??? I mean I remembered it in the 2nd Dexter book but I totally forgot about it here (hide spoiler)]

Also I love at the end when Tybalt (view spoiler)[is threatening to kill Rhys [and I so wish he was allowed to lol] but I love when he is like "I have tried to be a better man, you see. For her. But I could be a better monster, for you." (hide spoiler)] I just love Tybalt very much. Also, is there literally anything more badass than (view spoiler)[October sitting up and pulling a fucking knife out of her own chest? I think not (hide spoiler)]

Only thru Ch 10 and its seriously frustrating me and making me so angry! Rhys and that psycho (view spoiler)[want us to believe that if Toby died it would end?! Oh please, thats just an excuse to get rid of her. And why don't we know her name yet??? (hide spoiler)]

Ch 15 - (view spoiler)[i don't understand why they didnt just burn the dress with Toby's blood. Why try to get it cleaned? Its not like it was really Toby's dress! (hide spoiler)]

re: ch 15 - i thought that too. (view spoiler)[they could have just burned it or had tybalt leave it on the shadow roads or else take it with them to the court of cats (hide spoiler)]

Finished last night! Oh boy... (view spoiler)[Rhys & psycho got off way too easy. Another example of stupid Oberan's law. But I kept thinking back to Connor. He was super unlucky to have died from the elf-shot when so many just sleep... They need to start removing limbs from them like Rhys did to the royals. That way when they do wake they wont be threats. Yep, call me vindictive.

And Toby, holy crap, i thought there was no way she was goin to live thru that, but of course our hero can't go out like that! Walther though has to be the MVP coming up with the antedote for elf-shot. That is no longer a threat for our gang then though I dont know if Toby is lucky enough to live thru it a 3rd time. (hide spoiler)]

Devann wrote: "@Cathy no we haven't met Rhys before, I think he was just mentioned as like 'the puppet king in Silences' or whatever, pretty sure we didn't even get a name before this.

I finished earlier today a..."

I loved what Tybalt said too! Definitely impactful!

@Cathy - i totally agree, give them a taste of their own medicine lol i don't need our heroes to be ~better than them~ i would rather be petty and vindictive

also someone on tumblr made up a drinking game for this series and it made me laugh

Devann wrote: "@Cathy - i totally agree, give them a taste of their own medicine lol i don't need our heroes to be ~better than them~ i would rather be petty and vindictive

also someone on tumblr made up a drink..."

Haha me too! Thats the least they deserve!!

That drinking game is hilarious!!! But they forgot one - drink every time Toby, or someone else, calls Toby a hero. Especially in this book you'd be drunk off your ass after like the 4th Chapter!!!

haha true, maybe they left that one out for our physical safety ;)

Cathy M. wrote: "Finished last night! Oh boy... Rhys & psycho got off way too easy. Another example of stupid Oberan's law. But I kept thinking back to Connor. He was super unlucky to have died from the elf-shot wh..."

I agree with you that I hate the fact that the bad guys alwasy seem to get off so easy. They live to come back and be a problem again.

Are we starting te next book on the 1st?

i could have sworn i posted here this morning asking if you guys wanted me to request it for the 1st but now it's not here ...

anyway i'm okay as long as everyone else is, i only ask because it seems to take people longer to get going every time we do it

It was on another thread :)

We only have 3 left in this series! I'll be ready on the 1st for the next one.

haha that's what i get for just looking my history for october daye. ok i will go request it

Since there's only three left in the series you guys want to try and knock them all out in December before the year ends?

i can definitely fit them all in but i know most people are busier than me at the holidays lol

Yes please! Maybe 1 a week?

yeah that would probably work so then we would finish them all before christmas. gonna be weird reading the 12th one like 3 months after i read it before though lol

Not so weird....once I read a book again after having just finished it

haha i've done that too but generally when i was like suuuuper obsessed with them