The Innocent Sleep

The plot of McGuire’s fascinating 18th October Daye urban fantasy runs concurrently to the events of 2023’s Sleep No More, exploring a world where the vengeful Faerie Queen Titania has trapped several Fae kingdoms in a massive spell that rewrites reality to her own cruel, exacting standards. This time out, McGuire chronicles those developments from the perspective of Tybalt, King of Cats, series heroine Toby’s new husband. In a world with no room for Cait Sidhe or other “lesser” Fae, Tybalt is cast aside with the rest of his kind, though he’s aware that something is wrong and desperate to reunite with his loved ones. To do so, he must gather allies, find Toby, and figure out how to save the world from an angry god. There’s plenty of drama and angst as McGuire fills in the blanks around the edges of Toby’s story and chronicles Tybalt’s desperate struggle to survive in a newly hostile world, surrounded by allies turned strangers. This unusual offering stands on its own as a worthy entry in the series, with Tybalt’s perspective adding a fresh layer of wonder and horror to the tale. It’s a bold storytelling choice that pays off in spades. Agent: Diana Fox, Fox Literary. (Oct.)