The Unkindest Tide (#13) by Seanan McGuire

Synopsis:
Hundreds of years ago, the Selkies made a deal with the sea witch: they would have the sea for as long as she allowed it, and when the time came, she would call in all their debts at once. Many people assumed that day would never come. Those people were wrong.

When the Luidaeg--October "Toby" Daye's oldest and most dangerous ally--tells her the time has come for the Selkies to fulfill their side of the bargain, and that Toby must be a part of the process, Toby can't refuse. Literally. The Selkies aren't the only ones in debt to the Luidaeg, and Toby has to pay what she owes like anyone else. They will travel to the fabled Duchy of Ships and call a convocation of the Selkies, telling them to come and meet the Luidaeg's price...or face the consequences.

Published September 2019

Of course, nothing is that simple. When Dianda Lorden's brother appears to arrest Dianda for treason against the Undersea, when a Selkie woman is stripped of her skin and then murdered, when everything is falling apart, that's when Toby will have to answer the real question of the hour.

Is she going to sink? Or is she going to swim? 

Warning: This review may contain some spoilers from the previous novels. 

Are you ready?
















October ‘Toby’ Daye has been through the equivalency of hell and back, and has done it more times than she feels comfortable counting. She’s made enemies, met some new friends, built connections, and uncovered secrets that were never meant to be found. But with great rescuing comes the debt of owing some fairly substantial favors to the Luidaeg. And now the Luidaeg is calling them all in on Toby. And simultaneously, the Selkies as well. 

The Selkies have been summoned to fulfill their end of a centuries ago bargain that was made by their ancestors. For them, the specific debt collection conversation comes at the end of ‘One Salt Sea’. Wow, that was eight books ago. I had to go back a ways to find it. So this is not something that was being done without prior warning. But it does feel like a lifetime ago. Far enough that the conversation had been forgotten by all the other things that had happened since.

The story itself is not as action packed like some of her previous novels. But perhaps that is just as well. This isn't a fight that can't be won with swords. October is in a place where her only allies are those that came with her, and everyone else is staying away out of fear of breaking accorded neutral territory. The consequences of which are terrifying, even if never specified. The ending was satisfying to me. There was some closing out to a few story threads, revelations explained, and of course, more questions brought up. It's a blend that I never tire of.

Rating:

4/5 Stars