Sleep no more

How does one keep a long-running series feeling fresh? McGuire answers this question in her fun 17th October Daye urban fantasy (after Be the Serpent) by catapulting her characters into an alternate reality, examining what October "Toby" Daye's life would be like if the Faerie supremacist Titania had her way. As the changeling daughter of full-blooded Fae, Toby knows her place: safe in her mother's tower, forever obedient, lacking the rights and privileges of the Fae and forbidden to use her blood magic. When she's sent on an errand to a neighboring duchy, however, she discovers that her entire existence is a lie. Titania, the near-omnipotent ruler of Faerie, has reshaped several kingdoms to her own twisted, purist sensibilities, wrapping them in illusions and instilling their inhabitants with false memories. Aided by strangers who claim to remember the real timeline, Toby must reclaim her magic, free her friends, and prevent Titania from making her vision for Faerie permanent. The conceit allows McGuire to put a new spin on both the heroes and the villains of the series. As entertaining as ever, this entry offers a welcome chance to stop and assess before moving forward with Toby's increasingly complex adventures.Agent: Diana Fox, Fox Literary. (Sept.)