A Divided Duty
by Seanan McGuire
400 pages, Tor Publishing Group (2026)
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A reader without experience of the urban fantasy October Daye series could read A Divided Duty and come away richer for the experience. However, I feel that to fully grasp the nuances of this newest volume, it is beneficial to have read from the beginning, with Rosemary and Rue.
Toby is a Hero of the Realm, and a new mother to her second child and first with Tybalt. The clock is ticking on Raysel’s staying with October and completing her healing mentally from the trauma of her time in Blind Michael’s lands. The comfort found within Toby’s house and help has given Raysel space to heal from her trauma and her mother. It has taken time, but trust has grown between the fae teen and her semi-accidental guardian. The tension, however, grows when Luna declares for all of Faerie that she alone can care for her precious child, and the consequences of that prove dangerous for all. It has not been easy for any of them between the new baby and trauma and trying to figure out life under one roof. It’s great to see Raysel and the group of fae teens Toby has collected grow and heal and come into their own as individuals, even though in Faerie they are still a decade out from being seen as adults in their majority. This safe space to work through their awkward growth makes Luna’s words and actions against her daughter’s best interests all the more egregious. The consequences find Toby working to get there, get Raysel, and get back by the light of a candle, all while trying to care for her newborn and keep her safe from all the monsters of Faerie. It’s nice to watch Toby try to balance the challenges of newborn parenting with her work as Hero, and her own needs to help others. I think this newest story shows Toby’s growth in her relationship with Tybalt and with herself most of all. She recognizes she can’t do it alone and works to bring together her community. Yes, as Hero there are things only she can do, but she isn’t completely alone.
It’s a book with layers that reveal themselves long after finishing. The challenge with these long-running series is that with each new release, I want to reread the entire series yet again and unravel new layers in the universe, as I impatiently wait for the sequel to A Divided Duty.
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