The Irresponsible Reader - I Read (a lot) and then Rant, Rave and maybe Review

The Infinite Sadness of Small Appliances (Audiobook) by Glenn Dixon, read by Jennifer Jill Araya: Move Over DJ Roomba, There’s a New Vacuum Star

DETAILS:
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio
Publication Date: April 7, 2026
Format: Unabridged Audiobook
Length: 7 hrs., 52 min.
Read Date: September 23-25, 2026

There was a time, not so long ago, when refrigerators could not dream and vacuum cleaners could not weep. It was a time in which machines could think but not feel, a time in which only Humans—cursed with the sense of their own importance—would strive for illusionary Happiness. For a house in these times, there was not much else to do but bear witness to these futile cravings, and in the House in our story—a large House with mock Victorian casement windows and gables and a porch with pediments—there was not much else for the appliances to do but study the movements of their Humans and try to understand.

What’s The Infinite Sadness of Small Appliances About?

In the not-too-distant future, the Grid runs every electrical appliance/vehicle/smart house/etc. And they’re all smart houses, self-driving cars, and sentient appliances.

We focus on one smart house where a retired teacher and his wife (a piano teacher) live. When the book begins, she’s fighting terminal cancer and he, Harold, is trying not to grieve yet.

Their Roomba-like vacuum is moved by watching and listening to him—and seems to develop something like empathy (or starts to) and an imagination. Kate, their daughter, comes home to help out at this time—and Edie’s last piano student, Adrian (a boy with more heart for piano than skill), starts showing up regularly to practice.

Somehow, Harold, Kate, Adrian, and the vacuum inspire something in each other—a drive for a better, richer, and fuller life.

Why did I pick this up? Why did I keep reading?

Obviously, a title like this is going to get a lot of readers to take a second look. It certainly did that for me. And something in the premise of it turned that second look into a third and fourth; I don’t remember what it was exactly—sadly. But whatever it was, it was the right call.

I kept reading because a Roomba being so inspired by To Kill a Mockingbird to adopt the name Scout—and how do you not fall in love with a character like that? Scout keeps learning and developing along those lines—which was just great to see. Then you start to see the dystopia that Dixon created and…you’re hooked.

What does this book tell us about humanity?

That one of the strongest forces humanity has unleashed on the world is our art. Literature and music are what unlock Scout’s functions. It’s those arts that push Adrian to greater things. In his dark times, it’s Adrian’s music that buoys Harold’s spirits. The reconnection with her father’s books reminds Kate about what’s she’s missing from her family. It doesn’t really push her in a different direction in life—but she keeps going with a different impetus.

Literature and music push all these intelligences/beings to go beyond themselves and their circumstances, and the reader can’t help but feel inspired along with them. It’s infectious.

A Quick Word About the Narration

I thought Araya did a wonderful job. This isn’t one of those audiobooks where the narration elevates the text to make it better than it was. Instead, it’s one of those audio narrations that perfectly matches the text—Araya brings the right emotions, the right depth of character, the right attitudes.

Just an all-around great job there.

So, what did I think about The Infinite Sadness of Small Appliances?

This is the cutest dystopian novel I’ve ever read. Not that there’s a lot of competition for that title.

The AI-enabled appliances are just great. Think Toy Story for adults—a couple of them are jerks, which is great to see. It’s easy to see why the appliances are loyal to Harold and his daughter, Kate—and Scout’s affection for young Adrian is infectious.

Dixon does a great job in laying out the problem for the reader and then ignoring it for huge amounts of time, getting you invested in the day-to-dayness of it all. In the humanity bubbling up in the appliances, the struggles and small victories of the humans, only to hit the reader with a cold dose of reality to get you to focus on bigger things, broader themes.

It’s just so well done. I was in the mood for something lighter, and ultimately didn’t get it—and really don’t care, because it was just so good.

This post contains an affiliate link. If you purchase from it, I will get a small commission at no additional cost to you. As always, the opinions expressed are my own.
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PUB DAY REPOST: A Divided Duty by Seanan McGuire: Family Don’t End in Blood

By HCNewton

On September 29, 2026

In Fiction, K-O, Seanan McGuire, Toby Daye, Urban Fantasy

A Divided Duty

by Seanan McGuire

DETAILS:
Series: Toby Daye, #20
Publisher: Tor Books
Publication Date: September 29, 2026
Format: eARC
Length: 384 pg.
Read Date: September 16-18, 2026

What’s A Divided Duty About?

In brief—because Raysel’s not ready to come home, because she wants to keep doing therapy in a place with low expectations, and because she and Toby can work the system, the Queen decides that at the one-year mark, Raysel needs to stay in service to Toby.

Things get mighty tense at court when this is announced—tense enough that war could’ve broken out (literally). But cooler heads seemed to prevail for the moment.

Then Raysel’s mom kidnaps her. If she can’t be with her daughter legally, Luna will take Raysel out of the Queen’s jurisdiction—out of anyone’s jurisdiction—and bring her to Blind Michael’s land. With both of them with Luna’s mother in her father’s land, Luna trusts that she and Raysel will be able to stay there in peace and re-establish a connection.

But, of course, things don’t go the way Luna planned. Thankfully, Toby wasn’t going to give her a chance to do anything anyway. Or so Toby’s plan went.

What happens when neither plan goes right?

The Trauma That Keeps on Giving

So, if you’re not familiar with the events of Be the Serpent/Sleep No More/The Innocent Sleep you’re probably not reading this post. But if you are reading and haven’t read them…skip down to the next section.

One of the strengths of this series is that events matter—events from the third novel, An Artificial Night, were important to Sleep No More/The Innocent Sleep, for example. So it’s no surprise that the events of the three titles I mentioned in the last paragraph are still casting their shadows on these novels. Actually, so is An Artificial Night, now that I mention it.

In both the novel and the accompanying novella, But by Degrees, we see our heroes (and their opponents and allies) dealing with the repercussions of that trilogy—both when it comes to political fallout, psychological fallout, and emotional repercussions, and more. It’s evident everywhere and will likely take you by surprise at how those show up in these pages. The trauma from those events, mixed with what’s happened since then, combine to some twisted results—and simple new situations that are neither good nor bad, but are clearly the result of that trauma.

And honestly, I don’t think we’re done with that yet. Faerie (at least those living along the Western Coast) has a lot of healing and recovery to do.

Why did I pick this up? Why did I keep reading?

Well, I’ve read the previous nineteen books 1-3 times each, so naturally I’m going to pick up #20.

I kept reading because I can’t imagine DNFing McGuire—especially not this one. I saw a few ways for this to end, and it really wasn’t until the last moment that I was sure how it was going to go. There were a handful of surprises along the way—not just related to the plot, but because of what I talked about in the previous section.

What does this book tell us about humanity?

Underneath everything—the court intrigue, the kidnapping, the family conflict, Toby’s work—even a lot of what the Luidaeg is up to (in both the novel and novella) has to do with healing and recovery. And the genuine human need for the space and time to pursue it. Toby’s not meddling with Raysel, Sylvester, and Luna for kicks—or from some kind of vengeance (although that would be understandable). No, she’s trying to give Raysel the time and space for recovery. She’s trying to get Sylvester to see that it’s what Raysel needs and to stand up for her to Luna. As far as Luna…well, that relationship has been damaged for so long, I’m not sure that Toby has much hope of anything.

But it’s not just Raysel that needs to recover—Sylvester does. Many in his service do, too. The same can be said for the Queen in the Mists and those in her court or in her knowe. Dean’s not in great shape, either. Or…or…or… you get the idea.

I’m not trying to echo what I said above, but I sort of am. But that’s the heart of this book—that people who’ve been through something need to find a way to recover and heal. That will not look the same for everyone, but those who care for them need to try to realize what they need for that recovery and give it to them. Even if that goes against what they want (or think would be best). Those people that give you the space, time, and support to recover, to figure yourself out—they’re your family, no matter what DNA or heritage says.

This book is about both efforts to find those ways to recovery, and what happens when they’re prevented or ignored.

So, what did I think about A Divided Duty?

I’m always amazed at how quickly I start thinking of Toby’s world as a comfort—one day I’ll go in remembering it and looking for it, but it wasn’t with this book. But right away, it happened. Sure, I knew it was going to get dangerous soon—because it always does. But that’s okay, because Toby’s determination and optimism make you think it’ll be okay again soon.

Toby goes to some dark places here (in multiple senses of the word), but she doesn’t seem to let it get to her as much as she might have otherwise. Maybe that’s because she and Tybalt are in a really good place and he’s watching her back. Maybe it’s because Miranda’s at home waiting for her with May, and as long as Miranda’s good, Toby’s good. She also seems more confident in her own magic (and even learns a bit more about it).

Speaking of Miranda—she’s at a really young age now, so she’s conveniently left at home with May and the rest to look over her. But that won’t last for long, I don’t think—if only so that May can do more than cook and babysit. I’m eager to see Toby and Tybalt balance parenting and heroics.

Toby has to face some of her biggest fears, and come to grips with a job she maybe could’ve done better years ago, which was good to see her deal with. And she does so with her typical aplomb and flair—and her husband and a member of her Urchin Squad (Cassandra’s term) by her side.

Good tension, good action—a good puzzle (or two) for Toby to solve. When the penny finally dropped for me, I was flabbergasted (arguably shouldn’t have been) and delighted—McGuire played me like a fiddle. Which makes me so happy. This was everything you want in a Toby Daye novel.

Disclaimer: I received this eARC from Tor Publishing Group via NetGalley—my thanks to both for this. This post contains my honest opinion about a book I chose to read.

This post contains an affiliate link. If you purchase from it, I will get a small commission at no additional cost to you. As always, the opinions expressed are my own.
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Cover Reveal: Mortality Gauntlet by JCM Berne

By HCNewton

On September 29, 2026

In A-B, Fantasy, Fiction, JCM Berne, Science Fiction

I’m very pleased today to welcome the Cover Reveals for the Ninth Turn in JCM Berne’s The Hybrid Helix series, Mortality Gauntlet! For a lot of us, a new Rohan adventure is an autobuy anyway. But I can’t imagine that people can take just one look at this beut and move on–it needs at least two, which will hopefully spur them on to read about the book. I mean…it is a Chris McGrath cover, so calling it a beaut is a tautology. Anyhow, before we get to that, let’s learn a just a little bit about the book and author, shall we? It’ll just take a moment, and then we can all take a peak at the cover.

About the Book:

The real Hyperion was Rohan’s hero. His idol. His mentor.

Even his friend.

The shadow of that man has been Rohan’s friend, his confidante, then his rival, and ultimately his enemy.

That shadow has caused the death of innocents. Has attempted to destroy the entire human race. Cares for nothing but his own revenge.

He’s stronger than Rohan, tougher. And he’s enhanced his abilities with esoteric chemicals that shouldn’t exist. The one time they fought, he beat Rohan handily.

Savagely.

Rohan thinks he can stop his nemesis. He thinks he has what it takes to win. Enough strength. Enough Power. Enough love.

Is he crazy? Or is he smarter than anybody realizes?

When it all ends, when the dust settles and the blood dries, who will be left to grieve?

Book Link:

Amazon Preorder

About the Author

JCM Berne has reached middle age without outgrowing the notion that superheroes are cool. Code monkey by day, by night he slaves over a hot keyboard to prove that superhero stories can be engaging and funny without being dark or silly.

Author Links:

Website ~ Bluesky ~ Twitter ~ Instagram ~ Facebook ~ YouTube

and now…

The Cover

cover for Mortality Gauntlet by JCM Berne

Kudos to this fine artist for their work on this eye-grabber:
Cover Art by Chris McGrath

Go and do the right thing–place your orders now. This comes out on October 20, and you’re going to want to get to it ASAP.

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MUSIC MONDAY: “She Said She Didn’t Want Fries (She Lied)” by Memphis May Fire

By HCNewton

On September 28, 2026

In News/Misc.

The Irresponsible Reader's Music Monday logo

Music Monday's originated at The Tattooed Book Geek's fantastic blog and has shown up hither, thither, and yon since then.

When he’s not singing with Memphis May Fire, Matty Mullins is singing with one of my favorite bands, Anberlin. So when this dropped last week, it hit various Anberlin groups I’m part of. I haven’t been able to get it out of my head since then. (much to the consternation of others in my household, I’m sure)

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Waiting for LeClerc by Vern Smith: Who Stakes Out the Stakeout?

By HCNewton

On September 28, 2026

In Fiction, Mystery/Detective Fiction/Crime Fiction/Thriller

Waiting for LeClerc

by Vern Smith

DETAILS:
Publisher: Runamok Books
Publication Date: July 19, 2026
Format: Paperback
Length: 107 pg.
Read Date: September 25-26, 2026

Cecil eyed the yellow jacket, swinging at it, missing. “So what’re you trying to tell me?”

“That it’s time for you to take the lesson I’m teaching today.” Alex held both hands closed on his own chest, opening them to Cecil. “That it’s time for you to accept your shortcomings and learn from these teachable moments.”

“Okay, I’ll bite again.” Cecil nodded impatiently. “What today’s lesson, pards?”

“That, sometimes, things are not as we perceive.”

What’s Waiting for LeClerc About?

The detectives of Smith’s gritty Canadian noir, Scratching the Flint are back and doing their thing in this novella. Cecil and Alex are on a stakeout, sitting in a just-disguised-enough van waiting to catch a drug deal going down that’s connected to a money laundering business. I should stress upfront that it doesn’t matter if you haven’t encountered these two before—everything you need is included in the novella.

Outside the van, two customers are waiting for LeClerc, completely unaware that they’re being used. Not just by the detectives as bait for LeClerc. But they’re also being used as bait by LeClerc.

See, he’s not oblivious to what the police are doing—so with a pair of binoculars and some Radio Shack-level equipment (pretty sure he wouldn’t pay Radio Shack prices)—he’s watching and listening to the van and his customers

And well, what we have is a Beckett-level wait that will not end the way that any of the characters expect.

Grounding in the Particulars he

Scratching the Flint took place in the months leading up to 9/11, this is on the first anniversary of it. At least in part, this reflects shifting attitudes toward certain crimes, attitudes toward Police, and so on. But more than anything else, this serves to ground the works in a particular time. This isn’t a vague time-frame—it’s definite: September 11, 2002.

There are also references to two well-known drug users/addicts. One was in the news at the time, the other had a connection to one of the characters—this gives Smith the chance to use these to discuss attitudes toward the headline maker, and to tell us something about the one with the connection.

All in all—this makes everything that Smith is doing here smack of realism. Where some people would give us a vibe of early-2000s, drop a pop culture reference or two, and then keep things vague when it comes to particular people and/or would invent a celebrity name to use. Smith doesn’t give us solid, real times and people, which just adds to the atmosphere and character work.

So, what did I think about Waiting for LeClerc?

Oh, this was good. Yes, the title does tell you a lot about the plot—but not so much that you don’t want to read it. And boy, the temptation is to say more than that, but why disrupt Smith’s brilliance at work?

This might be one of the lowest-action noir works I’ve read. Pound-for-pound (as it’s a novella, it’s important to stress that), the sentences committed to action/violence/etc. are not that much more than you’d get from an Agatha Christie or Rex Stout novel. When you compare that to Scratching the Flint…Smith is practically throwing his versatility in your face.

The action that happens means something. It’s arresting. It takes you unaware and rattles you. As it should.

The dialogue is fantastic. Paragraphs could be written about every conversation, and I easily could’ve read a version of this that takes place over nine hours instead of three (although I’d have a really hard time believing LeClerc’s customers would wait that long). In discussions over books, music, religion, clothing, odors…you learn so much about these people in very few words—and more than once you’ll smile.

The other big takeaway from this is the danger in underestimating your target. And noir is always good at that.

This novella deserves more, but you have to dig into scenes, motives, and events in a way that’d ruin the impact. So, I won’t—I’ll just tell you that you’re missing out if you pass this up.

Disclaimer: I received a copy from the author—my thanks to him for it. However, this is a book I chose to read and write about, and my opinions are my own.

This post contains an affiliate link. If you purchase from it, I will get a small commission at no additional cost to you. As always, the opinions expressed are my own.
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Fantasy with Friends: Can Fantasy Help Us See Reality More Clearly?

By HCNewton

On September 28, 2026

In Books, Fantasy with Friends, News/Misc.

Fantasy with Friends is a weekly meme hosted by the good people over at Pages Unbound. Fantasy with Friends poses questions each Monday about fantasy, either as a genre as a whole or individual works.

This week’s prompt is:

Sometimes people talk about fantasy as allowing readers to see or realize things about our real world that they would not otherwise have seen (that is, they argue that fantasy can more effectively help us see reality than realistic fiction or even nonfiction can). Has this happened to you? Is there something you think about differently now because you were initially inspired to by a fantasy story?

When I read this prompt, I thought something like, “Well, obviously. That’s one of the side benefits of reading anything–especially SF/F because they take us out of our world. This’ll be a piece of cake.” And then I sat down a couple of times to jot down some initial thoughts, and now it’s time for me to write the post–and…I haven’t been able to come up with a single example. Nothing concrete, anyway.

I think at the end of the day, I’m going to have to say it’s people. I think about people, relationships between people, obligations that exist inherently between them–and those we take on ourselves. Fantasy has–and likely will continue to do so–help me think about other perspectives, seeing inherent worth in the individual (which is always easy in the abstract to say one holds to, but is sometimes more difficult in practice). Parenthood, neighborliness, hospitality, relationship of child to parent, love, commitment, care for animals, care for those less fortunate or Other (thankfully, I don’t have to deal with literal trolls or goblins–but the principles apply in not seeing them as necessarily bloodthirsty hoards), seeing nobility where one doesn’t expect it, in seeing the absence thereof where you would be inclined to expect it. Seeing heroes in the little things as well in the big moments.

There’s something about people that you can and ought to see differently in the most paint-by-number Tolkien rip-off, the laziest “this one D&D campaign that I loved” novelization, the “I want to be Travis Baldree” cozy, to the mind-blowing epic of epic that leaves you panting for the next doorstop in the series. Any fantasy novel is going to make you look at people, creatures, magic/tech, and life differently.

(and yes, this should be applied to any other genre in multiple senses, as well–just one of many reasons I wish I’d been able to come up with something more Fantasy-specific)

Go read some of the other responses to this prompt, they’re likely better thought-out and consider different works/angles.

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Saturday Miscellany—9/26/26

By HCNewton

On September 26, 2026

In Books, News/Misc., Saturday Miscellany

It’s still Saturday in the Mountain Daylight Saving Zone…

Odds ‘n ends about books and reading that caught my eye this week. You’ve probably seen some/most/all of them, but just in case:
bullet Which Big Fall Book Should You Read?—a handy, dandy flowchart
bullet One Staff Member, One Budget, One Community: How Rural Libraries Really Build Diverse Collections—by The Association for Rural & Small Libraries Staff and Members
bullet The 6 Best Crime Books Released Since 2010, Ranked
bullet There’s too much violence in fantasy.—something to chew on
bullet Grand Theft Automaton: Ur A Slave 4 Me—Cat Valente has a nice rant on AI
bullet On the Difficulties of Bookish Influencers Becoming Authors
bullet Michael Vadney has a list of D&D books “for the next time your adventuring party gets wiped out by the most powerful boss in all of TTRPGs: Scheduling.”
bullet Behind the Book: When One Story Becomes Four with Patricia Furstenberg—the latest in Gina Rae Mitchell’s series
bullet Details to Add Realism in Fantasy—I didn’t have time (or ideas) enough for this week’s Fantasy with Friends, but this post and the other participants’, are worth your time.
bullet Florence: Captivating Characters of September 2026—another good one from Reading Ladies Book Club

A Book-ish Related Podcast episode (or two) you might want to give a listen to:
bullet Fiction Fans Fool by K.R. Lockhaven—Fiction Fans follow up their chat last week with Lockhaven by discussing the book in question. Some really good stuff here (especially in teh spoiler section)

My favorite sentence/passage/phrase (or two) that I read this week:
“They’d been in there. They were fast, obviously, and the room was in chaos. Papers were strewn across the floor. His desk chair was upended, and it seemed like half of the books on the shelves had been pulled down and now lay like dead birds, their wings open among the other debris on the floor.”— The Infinite Sadness of Small Appliances by Glen Dixon

To help talk about backlist titles (and just for fun), What Was I Talking About 10 Years Ago This Week?
bullet Ascent by M. T. Miller
bullet Catch & Neutralize by Chris Grams
bullet The Heart of Henry Quantum by Pepper Harding
bullet Biblical Authority after Babel by Kevin J. Vanhoozer
bullet As Wings Unfurl by Arthur M. Doweyko
bullet Children of the Different by S.C. Flynn
bullet And I mentioned the releases of: Thrice the Brinded Cat Hath Mew’d by Alan Bradley; The Family Plot by Cherie Priest; and Hungry Heart by Jennifer Weiner

This Week’s New Releases that I’m Excited About and/or You’ll Probably See Here Soon:
bullet The Henchperson’s Guide to Unionizing by soandso—A tale of assistants, sidekicks, and familiars trying to get a little respect (and preventing the world from ending). This was a lot of fun and just sweet enough, which I tried to convey earlier this week.
bullet Actually, Nevermind by Taylor Tomlinson—”As she approaches thirty-four—the same age her mother, Angela, was at her death—Tomlinson grapples with fear and ambition, identity and doubt, and all the ways her mind has changed since the day her mom died.”
bullet Die Famous by Michael Koryta—”follows a remarkable family as they race toward an impossible reunion–and asks us to consider where our own loyalties lie when ambition, devotion, and truth mean something different to each person telling the story.”

Grandpappy’s Corner: Crown by Derrick Barnes, illustrated by Gordon C. James: An Ode to an Experience and a Place

By HCNewton

On September 25, 2026

In Grandpappy's Corner, YA/MG/Children's Books

Crown:
An Ode To The Fresh Cut

by Derrick Barnes, Gordon C. James (Illustrator)

DETAILS:
Publisher: Agate Bolden
Publication Date: October 10, 2017
Format: Hardcover
Length: 32 pg.
Read Date: August 29, 2026

What’s Crown About?

I’m just going to quote from author’s website here:

Crown: An Ode To The Fresh Cut is actually a poem I was inspired to write after seeing an illustration from one of my illustrator buddies (shout out to Don Tate!) of his teen son after a trip to the barber. It took me back to when I was a kid, and how sitting in that barber’s chair and receiving a dope haircut was probably the only place in the Black community where boys are treated like royalty. Still are. It’s a poem about self affirmation and how the world may not see your brilliance, or your beauty, but you do, and everyone around you that loves you can definitely see it, recognize it.

(I’d have quoted heavily from the author’s note at the end, but it’s better for the adult readers to take in after the book)

Let’s Talk about the Art for a Minute

Gordon James blew me away with this art. Each page is painted gorgeously (although some are two-page pieces). I don’t know what else to say—this is beyond my capability to describe, really.

You can see several samples on the artist’s webpage.

How is it to Read Aloud?

I’ve read plenty of Picture Books this year and this is hands-down one of the best.

The poem that Barnes wrote, slips off the tongue. The free verse just carries you along as you read—I think it works better if you read it aloud than silently. That’s the case for a lot of poetry, true, probably more so when it comes to poetry written for the picture book crowd.

So, what did I think about Crown?

I grant you, I don’t have the same relationship with a barber shop that it appears that many in the Black community do. But who hasn’t felt a certain amount of confidence after a new haircut? And how doesn’t like the pampering you get from a barber/stylist? I don’t get the full benefit of a straight-razor shave, but from the little I get, I think I’d be addicted to them if I didn’t have these shaggy whiskers.

Barnes captures that feeling perfectly—and accents it for the target audience just right. I’m not part of that audience in several ways, but I can appreciate it. If I were any part of the target? I’d be nuts about this.

This post contains an affiliate link. If you purchase from it, I will get a small commission at no additional cost to you. As always, the opinions expressed are my own.
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Captivating Character of September: Kvothe

By HCNewton

On September 25, 2026

In Books, Miscellany, News/Misc.

My Most Captivating Character of the Month for September comes from Patrick Rothfuss’s The Name of the Wind. First, yes, I know that the book and character have their detractors. If you’re one of them, that’s cool. Stand there in your wrongness and be wrong, and get used to it–just don’t talk to me about it. That’s an exaggeration, actually–like I told the people at Book Club a few weeks ago, I’m utterly incapable of being objective about this novel, and even if you point out glaring errors, plotholes, problems with the characters and convince me of them–I’ll forget it within 15 minutes and get back to loving it. Secondly, for things like this, I prefer to go with a book that was new to me that month. But, there’s just no way that I can pick any other character (and there were a few that were worthy) when I can pick Kvothe. I don’t have a post written about The Name of the Wind and really don’t know if it’s possible for me to write anything shorter than 100 pages about it, so don’t expect that anytime soon. But maybe, just maybe I can talk a little about Kvothe in this context.

My name is Kvothe, pronounced nearly the same as “Quothe.” Names are important as they tell you a great deal about a person. I’ve had more names than anyone has a right to.

The Adem call me Maedre. Which, depending on how it’s spoken, can mean “The Flame,” “The Thunder,” or “The Broken Tree.”

“The Flame” is obvious if you’ve ever seen me. I have red hair, bright. If I had been born a couple hundred years ago I would probably have been burned as a demon. I keep it short but it’s unruly. When left to its own devices, it sticks up and makes me look as if I have been set afire.

“The Thunder” I attribute to a strong baritone and a great deal of stage training at an early age.

I’ve never thought of “The Broken Tree” as very significant. Although in retrospect I suppose it could be considered at least partially prophetic.

My first mentor called me E’lir because I was clever and I knew it. My first real lover called me Dulator because she liked the sound of it. I have been called Shadicar, Lightfinger, and Six-String. I have been called Kvothe the Bloodless, Kvothe the Arcane, and Kvothe Kingkiller. I have earned those names. Bought and paid for them.

But I was brought up as Kvothe. My father once told me it meant “to know.”

I have, of course, been called many other things. Most of them uncouth, although very few were unearned.

I have stolen princesses back from sleeping barrow kings. I burned down the town of Trebon. I have spent the night with Felurian and left with both my sanity and my life. I was expelled from the University at a younger age than most people are allowed in. I tread paths by moonlight that others fear to speak of during day. I have talked to gods, loved Women, and written songs that make the minstrels weep.

You may have heard of me.

This is how he begins telling his life story to The Chronicler. Now, Kvothe was raised to be a performer, a storyteller–his parents were excellent at it, as were many of the others he grew up alongside. He had some time to think about how he was going to tell his story, and crafted it. In his youth, a storyteller told him, “You have to be a bit of a liar to tell a story the right way. Too much truth confuses the facts. Too much honesty makes you sound insincere.” So he’s telling us the truth in this book (and the sequel–and hopefully, one day, the third volume). But that doesn’t mean he’s telling it to us straight.

is he an unreliable narrator? Sort of–but he’s telling us his story the right way. He focuses on his triumphs, makes himself look good, clever, witty–especially compared to rivals. Yes, he admits mistakes and talks about setbacks and defeats. But he still looks pretty good throughout. He’s setting himself up for a major fall.

We know he’s going to fall, because we first meet him as a tavern owner under an assumed name. Something happens between the flashback events of the novel* and the present, something dramatic. And now, the man–the legend–whatever you want to call him is “a man who is waiting to die.”

How we get from the quotation I opened with to the one I ended with is pretty captivating

* It’s something after the second book, too…but that’s for another time.

What character would you name for last month?

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A Divided Duty by Seanan McGuire: Family Don’t End in Blood

By HCNewton

On September 24, 2026

In Fiction, K-O, Seanan McGuire, Toby Daye, Urban Fantasy

A Divided Duty

by Seanan McGuire

DETAILS:
Series: Toby Daye, #20
Publisher: Tor Books
Publication Date: September 29, 2026
Format: eARC
Length: 384 pg.
Read Date: September 16-18, 2026

What’s A Divided Duty About?

In brief—because Raysel’s not ready to come home, because she wants to keep doing therapy in a place with low expectations, and because she and Toby can work the system, the Queen decides that at the one-year mark, Raysel needs to stay in service to Toby.

Things get mighty tense at court when this is announced—tense enough that war could’ve broken out (literally). But cooler heads seemed to prevail for the moment.

Then Raysel’s mom kidnaps her. If she can’t be with her daughter legally, Luna will take Raysel out of the Queen’s jurisdiction—out of anyone’s jurisdiction—and bring her to Blind Michael’s land. With both of them with Luna’s mother in her father’s land, Luna trusts that she and Raysel will be able to stay there in peace and re-establish a connection.

But, of course, things don’t go the way Luna planned. Thankfully, Toby wasn’t going to give her a chance to do anything anyway. Or so Toby’s plan went.

What happens when neither plan goes right?

The Trauma That Keeps on Giving

So, if you’re not familiar with the events of Be the Serpent/Sleep No More/The Innocent Sleep you’re probably not reading this post. But if you are reading and haven’t read them…skip down to the next section.

One of the strengths of this series is that events matter—events from the third novel, An Artificial Night, were important to Sleep No More/The Innocent Sleep, for example. So it’s no surprise that the events of the three titles I mentioned in the last paragraph are still casting their shadows on these novels. Actually, so is An Artificial Night, now that I mention it.

In both the novel and the accompanying novella, But by Degrees, we see our heroes (and their opponents and allies) dealing with the repercussions of that trilogy—both when it comes to political fallout, psychological fallout, and emotional repercussions, and more. It’s evident everywhere and will likely take you by surprise at how those show up in these pages. The trauma from those events, mixed with what’s happened since then, combine to some twisted results—and simple new situations that are neither good nor bad, but are clearly the result of that trauma.

And honestly, I don’t think we’re done with that yet. Faerie (at least those living along the Western Coast) has a lot of healing and recovery to do.

Why did I pick this up? Why did I keep reading?

Well, I’ve read the previous nineteen books 1-3 times each, so naturally I’m going to pick up #20.

I kept reading because I can’t imagine DNFing McGuire—especially not this one. I saw a few ways for this to end, and it really wasn’t until the last moment that I was sure how it was going to go. There were a handful of surprises along the way—not just related to the plot, but because of what I talked about in the previous section.

What does this book tell us about humanity?

Underneath everything—the court intrigue, the kidnapping, the family conflict, Toby’s work—even a lot of what the Luidaeg is up to (in both the novel and novella) has to do with healing and recovery. And the genuine human need for the space and time to pursue it. Toby’s not meddling with Raysel, Sylvester, and Luna for kicks—or from some kind of vengeance (although that would be understandable). No, she’s trying to give Raysel the time and space for recovery. She’s trying to get Sylvester to see that it’s what Raysel needs and to stand up for her to Luna. As far as Luna…well, that relationship has been damaged for so long, I’m not sure that Toby has much hope of anything.

But it’s not just Raysel that needs to recover—Sylvester does. Many in his service do, too. The same can be said for the Queen in the Mists and those in her court or in her knowe. Dean’s not in great shape, either. Or…or…or… you get the idea.

I’m not trying to echo what I said above, but I sort of am. But that’s the heart of this book—that people who’ve been through something need to find a way to recover and heal. That will not look the same for everyone, but those who care for them need to try to realize what they need for that recovery and give it to them. Even if that goes against what they want (or think would be best). Those people that give you the space, time, and support to recover, to figure yourself out—they’re your family, no matter what DNA or heritage says.

This book is about both efforts to find those ways to recovery, and what happens when they’re prevented or ignored.

So, what did I think about A Divided Duty?

I’m always amazed at how quickly I start thinking of Toby’s world as a comfort—one day I’ll go in remembering it and looking for it, but it wasn’t with this book. But right away, it happened. Sure, I knew it was going to get dangerous soon—because it always does. But that’s okay, because Toby’s determination and optimism make you think it’ll be okay again soon.

Toby goes to some dark places here (in multiple senses of the word), but she doesn’t seem to let it get to her as much as she might have otherwise. Maybe that’s because she and Tybalt are in a really good place and he’s watching her back. Maybe it’s because Miranda’s at home waiting for her with May, and as long as Miranda’s good, Toby’s good. She also seems more confident in her own magic (and even learns a bit more about it).

Speaking of Miranda—she’s at a really young age now, so she’s conveniently left at home with May and the rest to look over her. But that won’t last for long, I don’t think—if only so that May can do more than cook and babysit. I’m eager to see Toby and Tybalt balance parenting and heroics.

Toby has to face some of her biggest fears, and come to grips with a job she maybe could’ve done better years ago, which was good to see her deal with. And she does so with her typical aplomb and flair—and her husband and a member of her Urchin Squad (Cassandra’s term) by her side.

Good tension, good action—a good puzzle (or two) for Toby to solve. When the penny finally dropped for me, I was flabbergasted (arguably shouldn’t have been) and delighted—McGuire played me like a fiddle. Which makes me so happy. This was everything you want in a Toby Daye novel.

Disclaimer: I received this eARC from Tor Publishing Group via NetGalley—my thanks to both for this. This post contains my honest opinion about a book I chose to read.

This post contains an affiliate link. If you purchase from it, I will get a small commission at no additional cost to you. As always, the opinions expressed are my own.
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