“I was born and raised in San Francisco, which explains my willingness to stay in a city that’s historically been full of people who insist on trying to kill me at the slightest provocation.”

Having survived the events of the last book, Toby decides a relaxing night is in order, or as relaxing of a night one can have hosting a sleepover for a bunch of Fae teenagers. All’s well and good until Arden comes over asking for a favor: the conclave to discuss whether or not the Elf-shot cure Walther invented in the last book is approaching, and High King Aethlin has forbidden the use of the cure until after the decision is made. Arden doesn’t want to wait; her seneschal and her brother are both asleep, and she wants Toby to wake them up before Aethlin gets there. They succeed with Madden, but fail with Nolan, as Aethin is there a week ahead of schedule. Aethlin lets Madden slide, but forbids waking Nolan; he also demands Toby attend the conclave with Quentin so that Quentin can observe the political proceedings.

This isn’t an army marching on the Mists. This isn’t a case you have to solve. It’s just a bunch of nobles coming to puff their chests out at each other an try to look important. Do what I do. Bring popcorn.

Of course being a changeling in a court full of some of the worst snobs Faerie has to offer isn’t the greatest (not that Toby particularly cares).

Yeah, my dad was human. He was a good man, and I’m proud to be his daughter. My mother, on the other hand, was Firstborn. So unless you call the First of your race Mommy or Daddy, I think my breeding is better than yours.

The only upshots are that Quentin, Dianda, and Patrick are there, as well as Tybalt and Raj (even if they had to demand entrance; it’s not just changelings that get the short end of the stick with the Fae. The snobbery is strong with this lot.) The Luidheag

Never invite a death omen to a murder party.

also makes an appearance, bringing an unexpected guest: Karen Brown, who is being forced by Evening Winterrose to speak on her behalf to get the cure quashed. Being as Toby a) hates Evening, and b) is Karen’s godmother, this does not go over well.

I never asked myself whether children should be protected: I knew the answer. They should be protected for as long as they could be, for as long as our shoulders could bear the weight of the world, because innocence was so fragile, and so easily destroyed.

Of course when one of the rulers who have the biggest problem with Dianda’s marriage and Toby’s existence is murdered,

If anyone was going to get themselves murdered to guarantee they would remain the center of attention, it would be him.

the conclave goes from being mildly boring to something that Toby has to take a far more active role in.

The same thing that always happens,” I said. “We were having a perfectly nice evening until it got ruined by a corpse.” Her smile was full of teeth. “Oh, good,” she said. “I was worried that it was something serious.

Just like the last book this one isn’t one of my absolute favorites, but it’s still enjoyable. Then again, any book that has copious amounts of the Luidheag in it are going to get an uptick in my opinion. Add in Dianda and Toby in full snark and it’s getting closer to perfection. Quentin’s parents I run hot and cold on; Aethlin is a little bit of a stuffed shirt, and I don’t know why Maida will not just tell Quentin the truth of her parentage. Sylvester, I still want to punch; I’m glad Toby has forgiven him, but I think she’s a far better woman than I am (or just far too trusting of some people). Luna is still a snot, though (really, and next up, water is wet), and I’m thankful the less heard of her the better. Patrick saying he was a better brother to Simon than Sylvester was/is had to be one of the funniest bits of dialogue upon re-reading *laughs in knowing events of future books*. Evening stays a character that I can not wait to see the last of (on the way out, can you take Luna and a host of others with you? I have a list.) It was interesting reading this seeing how much the groundwork for was laid in this book, and how much we still don’t have the full picture of.

One thing I want to say to Toby, and one thing I want to say to Tybalt:

Toby, just admit that Quentin is the child you never got to raise, not your “semi-adopted little brother”.

Tybalt, yes, Toby loves you enough to become full Fae; deal with, she’s that gone on you.

But now I’m dragging my feet; The Brightest Fell is next, and that’s one of the four books that are upcoming that I really did not like for the most part….

• If you can’t afford the deaths you risk, perhaps you can’t afford to go to war.

• Oh, please. We don’t have a judicial system. We have one law, which we break constantly, and everything else is arbitrary punishments handed down by whoever’s higher-ranked in the nobility than the person who did something wrong. If High King Aethlin says someone’s punishment is getting punched in the face over and over by an angry mermaid, that’s as valid as anything else he might want to hand down.

• Anyone who says the past was perfect is a liar and wasn’t there. Everything that thinks can aspire, and everything that aspires wants something better than what they’ve left behind them.

• Hope can be cruel, but giving up is worse.

• Faeries are real. Magic is real. My tendency to greet dangerous situations by plunging in headfirst and seeing how long it takes to get myself covered head to toe in blood is also real.