Kira's Reviews > Rosemary and Rue

I love this book! It definitely has its flaws, but there are many great things about it that make it easy to overlook its shortcomings. One thing that makes this stand out from other UF is the pervasive feeling of melancholy. Toby had been through some rough situations and was looked down on by most fae for being a changeling. Her experiences hurt her and changed her outlook on the world. She wasn’t happy but never lost the belief that things can get better. Toby is one of those characters that means well and will do anything to help anyone, but her zeal to protect others makes her reckless at times.

After being in a bizarre exile due to a spell, Toby isn’t keen on reconnecting with friends and family. Magic compels her to solve a murder of an old friend, which forces her to see some of the people she hadn’t seen in years. Along the way she develops some new relationships that are important later on in the series.

Tybalt and the Luidaeg were by far the most captivating side characters, but they weren’t in this enough to really get to know them. I didn’t really care for Connor. He's nice but too boring. Devin was a sleazy, self-serving, and manipulative liar. I never liked him nor did I understand Toby's attraction to him. Seanan McGuire excels at writing characters. They all have distinct voices and personalities.

I loved the world building! It was rich and detailed. There is a lot of information to absorb about the different types of fae, their laws, and their hierarchy. One bit of fae lore that is unusual in this series is that the fae can lie. Not just working around the truth but flat out lies. One aspect of this that I did not like was the romance. Initially it appears that 3 men are interested in Toby, not that any sort of romance is central to the plot. One of those men was taken out as a possible love interest by the end of the book. That was a minor part of the story, so I could overlook it.