Sci-Fi, Fantasy & Horror Reviews

Book Review: Late Eclipses

By Sandy Amazeen Jan 19, 2011, 16:42 GMT

October "Toby" Daye is half-human, half-fae-the only changeling who\'s earned knighthood. But when someone begins targeting her nearest and dearest, it becomes clear that Toby is being set up to take the fall for everything that\'s happening. ...more

Immediately after half-breed fae October Daye received an unprecedented title from the Summerlands Queen, Lily a dear friend and Lady of the Tea Gardens takes ill. As an Undine, Lily should be impervious to any illness yet her life is clearly, impossibly ebbing away. Daye pledges to keep Lily’s people safe but with other faeries including her liege’s
wife Luna becoming ill it is a promise she will be hard pressed to live up to. An urgent summons by Tybalt the local King of Cats reveals most of his court gravely ill and if Daye cannot find out why, it could spell the end to the Court of Cats. Nothing is certain beyond the distinct impression that somehow Oleander is behind it.

Thanks to a complex spell cast by Oleander, Daye spent years living as a goldfish before the spell was countered and by that time all hope of reestablishing a relationship with her husband and daughter was gone. Living up to her name, Oleander seeks to kill everyone Daye holds dear but to what end? The Queen of the Mists, Oleander and the King’s own daughter spin a web of treachery and deceit that leaves Daye doubting her sanity even as she must make the most difficult choice a second time.

Brisk pacing, a delightful mix of characters and assorted family issues make for an entertaining read that grabs your attention and doesn’t let go to the very end. Daye’s relationship with Tybalt and her mother add a humanizing touch while hinting at a more complicated heritage then suspected. The general dark tone is lightened by touches of black humor while the subtle attraction between Daye and Tybalt add hints of romance without overplaying it. This is a strong addition to the series which is best enjoyed from the beginning while leaving readers to wonder what’s next.