Chimes at Midnight by Seanan McGuire
Chimes at Midnight, the seventh book in Seanan McGuire's October Daye series, was an enjoyable read, but it failed to entirely fulfill my need for meaningful action. Like the rest of McGuire's work, the writing and characters were fantastic. However, Chimes at Midnight did not quite live up to my admittedly high expectations.
Once again, Toby has found herself on the wrong end of the Queen of the Mists' bad temper. She and her friends must race to save the kingdom from evil. Again. Some of my complaint with the plot was that it was too much the same as every other October Daye book. While the formula works up to a point, this novel didn't overcome its formula as previous books in the series have. My other complaint about Chimes at Midnight is that its plot felt like little more than tying up loose ends and building up to the next major storyline.
I enjoyed Chimes at Midnight, but wish that I could have enjoyed it more. Judging by the preview at the end of the novel, the next part of the series will be turning more toward Toby's mother and aunt. I would recommend Chimes at Midnight to any loyal October Daye fan as I think it is important to the larger story arc, but don't go into it expecting it to be the most exciting October Daye story ever written.
Read this review and more on The Library Lass Book Talk Blog.