Urban Fantasy appeal

When I was in my first year of college, I took an introduction to film class. I enjoyed it hugely and was exposed to classic cinema I hadn't ever heard of but enjoyed immensely. I remember I was especially fond of the film noir. As defined, film noir is  a style (not really a genre) of cinematographic film marked by a mood of pessimism, fatalism, and menace. The Maltese Falcon, Public Enemy and Citizen Kane were a few of my favorites.

While I'm much more of a reader than a film buff, that early exposure stuck with me. A few years ago, one of the librarians asked me to read a book by author, Seanan McGuire titled Rosemary and Rue. It was the first book in her new October Daye series.  Toby is a changeling PI solving cases for Faerie in and around San Francisco. And since Faerie is active at night, these books have a dark, gritty, menacing mood that reminds me of film noir -- Faerie film noir if you will.

Urban fantasy is a subgenre of fantasy in which the narrative has an urban setting.  Works of urban fantasy are set primarily in the real world and contain aspects of fantasy, such as the discovery of earthbound mythological creatures, coexistence or conflict between humans and paranormal beings, and other changes to city life.  A contemporary  setting is not strictly necessary for a work of urban fantasy: works of the genre may also take place in futuristic and historical settings, actual or imagined.^[1] 

Urban fantasy has great appeal in that the stories take place in the world we often recognize and feel we could be a part of. It's a fantastic escape in a familiar setting. The October Daye series is an urban fantasy and it's one of the best. Seanan McGuire is a smart, sharp clever writer who weaves complicated tales studded with faerie legends. And since that first novel I've read every book in the series. Recently, I had the opportunity to preview book #12, Night and Silence and it was a wonderful edition to Toby's story. Here's my review.

Night and Silence by Seanan McGuire

Dark, atmospheric and brooding. Those are my favorite words to describe the October Daye series. Taking place in modern day San Francisco, these fairy film noir novels are some of the best Urban Fantasy available.

Night and Silence is the twelfth installment and while the novel stands well on its own, the series is best read in order to enjoy the character progression and avoid spoilers.

All is not well in Toby’s world. After her mother’s last betrayal, Toby’s self-gathered family is in a state of crisis. She is worried and heartbroken and uncertain how to help her loved ones heal. What she needs is a distraction. What she gets is accused of the disappearance of her human daughter, Gillian and involved in trying to locate her.

What seems like a case of a missing college student rapidly devolves into a faerie instigated affair that will require all of Toby’s skills to solve.

As usual, McGuire’s writing is wonderful and the narrative is well paced. The story is full of surprising twists and turns and this novel will certainly turn October’s world all around. One of the best aspects of the story and of the series is traveling all over San Francisco with Toby and  her friends.

I’m a huge fan of this series and the author’s work.  I highly recommend this installment. 5 stars.


I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.