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bear_ridge_tarot's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
October Daye is living a happy life as the second daughter of her pureblood parents. Destined to be the changeling handmaid to her older sister August, October doesn’t question her lot in life. She spends her days working in the family’s tower awaiting the day when her sister sets up her own household and takes October with her. This Faerie is perfect. This Faerie is a lie.
October has been pulled into a terrible and strong illusion that has torn her from the people who love her and whom she loves. She’s been recast into a docile role of acceptance when in her heart she is a Knight of the realm. She must decide whether she can risk everything she knows is based on this fake Faerie to take back what she currently thinks are only the stories of strangers.
I was skeptical when I read the beginning of this book. I’d picked it up not knowing what was happening, as if I too had forgotten what occurred in the previous books. But at the center of the book is October Daye, and she is essentially unchanged in personality. She’s still brave, a bit reckless, and completely uncomfortable with bleeding to make things right. It was enjoyable to see how other characters were also changed in this “perfect” cleansed Faerie. I was especially horrified to witness Quinten (in a good way) on how he’d be without Toby’s influence on him. I was devastated for Simon; hasn’t the man suffered enough at the hands of the women he surrounded himself with?!
Overall, the idea was good but the pacing was terrible. Too much hurry up and wait in the middle just to rush the ending and epilogue. I have my doubts about whether the next book which is based on the exact same four months, just from Tyblt’s perspective, is even worth reading.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Blood, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Moderate: Toxic relationship, Violence, Kidnapping, and Gaslighting
Minor: Child death, Death, Genocide, and Murder
ninjamuse's review against another edition
adventurous
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Confinement, Slavery, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, and Gaslighting
queenpebbles's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Blood, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Moderate: Mental illness, Toxic relationship, Pregnancy, and Fire/Fire injury
booksthatburn's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
I specifically enjoy books and series where nominally the same character has a transformation of mind, perception, and/or understanding of current events and their own history. While Toby has changed a great deal over the series so far, up until now most of the changes have been gradual (or, when extreme, temporary - e.g. her brief addiction to Goblin Fruit several books ago). SLEEP NO MORE, at long last, offers a very different version of October. This one is grateful to be her sister’s handmaiden, grew up with Simon Torquill as her father even though they share no blood, and knows of Amandine’s nature as Firstborn of the Dóchas Sidhe. October's memories have been rewritten, recontextualized, transformed to the point that many of the faces she ought to know best are alien to her. Entities who had been dealt with in earlier volumes are returned, rather, to her, they never left. Titania's vision of a perfect Faerie includes neither mixed bloods nor shapeshifters, let alone seers. Most immediately, it does not include the Cait Sidhe, and this version of October has never even met Tybalt.
Because October is unaware of her real previous history, much of the book follows a new storyline which was not present in any of the earlier volumes, but which in another way is a direct continuation of the previous books. There's often much backstory that could be explained, but if every bit of the story that got us here were detailed, not only would October run from the room at the news of just how often she'd gotten hurt before, but also it would bring this story to a grinding halt. Instead, what needs to be explained is summarized for October's benefit and to aid the reader's recall. It avoids belaboring any one point to those magicked to reject that understanding of reality.
SLEEP NO MORE is a direct continuation of the cliffhanger ending in BE THE SERPENT, and it addresses October's side of Titania's illusion. It is paired with the next book, THE INNOCENT SLEEP, which follows the same basic timeframe but from Tybalt's perspective. A few specific things are mentioned towards the end that will need to be handled in later books, but chief among them will be dealing with the aftermath of these events. So many people had their personalities changed and were bound by illusions which messed with their understanding of their own history, and the trauma inflicted here will have long-lasting repercussions.
"Candles and Starlight" is the novella included at the end of SLEEP NO MORE. It follows one of the characters who retained their memories during the illusion because they were too inconvenient to be easily rewritten or put in a new role. It showcases a character who has had a large influence but hasn't yet had much of a voice.
Because October is unaware of her real previous history, much of the book follows a new storyline which was not present in any of the earlier volumes, but which in another way is a direct continuation of the previous books. There's often much backstory that could be explained, but if every bit of the story that got us here were detailed, not only would October run from the room at the news of just how often she'd gotten hurt before, but also it would bring this story to a grinding halt. Instead, what needs to be explained is summarized for October's benefit and to aid the reader's recall. It avoids belaboring any one point to those magicked to reject that understanding of reality.
SLEEP NO MORE is a direct continuation of the cliffhanger ending in BE THE SERPENT, and it addresses October's side of Titania's illusion. It is paired with the next book, THE INNOCENT SLEEP, which follows the same basic timeframe but from Tybalt's perspective. A few specific things are mentioned towards the end that will need to be handled in later books, but chief among them will be dealing with the aftermath of these events. So many people had their personalities changed and were bound by illusions which messed with their understanding of their own history, and the trauma inflicted here will have long-lasting repercussions.
"Candles and Starlight" is the novella included at the end of SLEEP NO MORE. It follows one of the characters who retained their memories during the illusion because they were too inconvenient to be easily rewritten or put in a new role. It showcases a character who has had a large influence but hasn't yet had much of a voice.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Xenophobia, Blood, and Classism
Moderate: Bullying, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Violence, Kidnapping, Murder, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Child death, Death, Genocide, Infidelity, Mental illness, Self harm, and Death of parent
“Candles and Starlight” - CW for confinement, kidnapping, body horror. Minor CW for torture, child abuse.