A sad tale's best for winter; I have one / Of sprites and goblins

[rymenhild]

Seanan McGuire's The Winter Long (October Daye, volume 8) is coming out next week, so it's time to start making guesses about which mysteries the book will solve. I keep seeing dark hints that this book is a major transition in Toby's story. I'm really looking forward to finding out what's going to change this time.

Comments

[ladybird97]

I have no theories of my own, at least not without another re-read and another cup of coffee :) But I'm just commenting to say that I am impressed by your theorizing, really really looking forward to the next book.

(I used up my theorizing on Quentin's parentage, and was happy that I was right.)

[rymenhild]

I saw Quentin's parentage coming too. Then again, I also thought that Simon and Sylvester were the same person and Sylvester was secretly evil, so I can't claim 100% accuracy here.

[muchabstracted]

To be fair, your theory regarding Simon & Sylvester was well-thought out and chilling. I'm a little sad it looks like that was wrong.

[ladybird97]

Oh wow, if that had been true it would have been amazing and terrible! But I'm glad that Sylvester is actually a good guy, because I really like him.

Also, I totally agree that we are very very overdue for hearing about Simon's whereabouts.

[taylweaver]

I'm not reading your theories because you're good at being right, and I like being able to figure things out for myself without unintentional spoilers.

I will say, however, that I remember her mentioning Oregon as a place where things would be happening, and that makes me excited, as I was just in Portland, and I'm hoping to recognize some of the geography.

[rymenhild]

Oregon....?

Now I have more spoilery speculations. Oregon. Huh.

[taylweaver]

I could be misremembering, and it may not be this book specifically. I just remember her talking about whatever realm is to the north. Maybe she was talking about doing research? It was a while ago. But I remember her saying something about getting further north in a future book. (I think the area even had a name, but I can't recall it now.)

[rymenhild]

I bet you're right. The area's name is Silences, by the way.

[muchabstracted]

My first reaction to your theorizing: Acacia! I know how to dye fabric from a resin made from the acacia tree! I have no idea how to extract the resin, and have only used it in the dye extract form, but still.

Mixed marriages create mentally ill fae? Where did we learn that? Raysel was mentally ill because of her treatment by Simon, I thought, not because of her parentage. Blind Michael as a father could make anyone unstable. Patrick & Diane are a mixed marriage, and their children seem stable. And if mixed marriages create mentally ill fae, what about changelings? The changelings are weak, but don't seem mentally ill as a group.

I do not recall the bit with the Lady of the Lake/Morgaine, but I wonder if that is supposed to be people we know or not. It could be Oleander & Evening, I suppose. I'm not too curious, except to hope that any Arthurian stuff isn't too overwhelming.

Some of us would be interested to hear any further speculation you have regarding Portland and the puppet government there.

[rymenhild]

Mixed marriages create mentally ill fae? Where did we learn that?

There's a bunch in Chimes. The ex-Queen was Banshee+Siren+Sea Wight, and Toby's internal monologue suggests it's the combination that makes her unstable.

I'm not really a fan of the way the series treats mental illness, I have to say.

Oleander is permanently out of play, so I don't think she can count as either the Lady of the Lake or Morgane. Anyway, I figure that all the mythological material in the series has been changed in significant ways, so it's not likely that we'll get any straight-on Arthurian material.

In Chimes, we heard that Arden wants to take the puppet government down and get Silences back to independence again; that would make a good A-plot, I would think. I don't know what it would have to do with Evening and/or the Selkies, though.

[muchabstracted]

Maybe there are some rare combinations that are make mental instability more likely, if not necessarily unavoidable, whereas most of the combinations are fine. There are genetic factors in mental illness, in any case, even if it's not like a situation where Your Genes = Mental Instability.

Hmm, if that got mentioned in Chimes, probably it'll be the A plot in another few books. :)

[terriqat]

children of Maeve who try to create offspring with children of Titania end up with messed up kids. Its in Ashes I think (the whole changeling instability thing). I also saw Quentin's lineage coming, and wondered about Simon's connection to Amandine. Could the Lady of the Lake be the Luidaeg? (king maker, connected to water). I'm curious to see if you're right about Evening, especially since she was only killed with Iron, not with silver and iron as firstborn must be killed, according to the Luidaeg in Artificial Night. If you are, she was dead enough that the night haunts came and left a dummy in her place, but none of them wear her face, which is a puzzle. Toby also owes her fees to the library, which must be paid at some point.

[rymenhild]

Hi there! It's good to see you here - I didn't know you were still reading LJ.

Huh. Amandine was the one who said to beware the Lady of the Lake, and Amandine and the Luidaeg haven't spoken since Toby's Choice. That could work.

The question about the night haunts and Evening is a very good question, to which I have no answer.

I didn't get the sense that the library fees were onerous. The librarian just want some truths, which Toby happens to have. ...Although I suppose Toby doesn't know any reasons why the truths should stay secret, and bad things could happen if they get revealed.

[terriqat]

I wasn't thinking the fees would be onerous, but I do wonder what Toby will learn from the librarian. Another question: we kmow Merlins exist. I can't imagine this information is irrelevant.