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October Daye / Inheritance - Essay Series Part Five: Long Series and How to Read Them

Hello Patrons and general audience members! Welcome to another Books That Burn essay by Robin. Thank you to Case Aiken, who receives a monthly Patron shoutout. [Full Audio Available Here] This is the fifth and final entry in a five-part essay series discussing two long-running book series by queer authors: October Daye by Seanan McGuire, and Inheritance by A.K. Faulkner. I chose these series because I love them both, they were intended from the start to be long series, neither of them are finished yet, and the authors have different structural approaches to developing each series across so many volumes. Purely coincidentally, they are both long-running contemporary fantasy series mainly set in California in or near the 2010's, with major characters named Quentin, and whose fast-healing protagonists have a tendency to quasi-adopt a gaggle of magical teenagers. After a brief moment in the 1990's, October Daye begins in earnest in 2009 and has reached 2015 as of the eighteenth boo...
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Labyrinth Lost by Zoraida Córdova (Brooklyn Brujas, #1)

I was chosen by the Deos. Even gods make mistakes.

Alex is a bruja, the most powerful witch in a generation…and she hates magic. At her Deathday celebration, Alex performs a spell to rid herself of her power. But it backfires. Her whole family vanishes into thin air, leaving her alone with Nova, a brujo she can’t trust, but who may be Alex’s only chance at saving her family.

TITLE: Labyrinth Lost
AUTHOR: Zoraida Córdova
PUBLISHER: Sourcebooks Fire
YEAR: 2016
LENGTH: 336 pages
AGE: Young Adult
GENRE: Fantasy
RECOMMENDED: Highly

Labyrinth Lost fits an epic journey into a story of personal growth and family strength. It feels like the first step into a rich and dynamic world, and I'm excited to spend more time there. Agosto and Madra are my favorites, I hope to see them again.

Every scene felt so purposeful, like it contained precisely what it ought so I felt settled about what happened while also craving the next chapter. I like the dynamic between Alex, Nova, and Rishi, it's a well-executed relationship triangle where every connection feels complex and complete. Nova is just the right amount of mysterious and brooding, and Rishi feels like a good fit for Alex. That isn't settled, obviously, since it's just the start, but I like how there's no reservation about Alex having feelings for both of them. I especially like how they are framed as being different kinds of feelings, but I'll watch to see how or if that changes as the series continues.

I love Agosto and Madra, they're such different but powerful leaders in a very taxing situation. I love stories about the Fae, and this take on the Underhill concept was nice. Their plights felt like natural tests of Alex's confidence and power, so that the conclusion made sense and the display of power felt appropriate. Rishi's fake wings were a cute touch, something that made her sudden entrance really feel unplanned and heartfelt.

CW for bullying, child abuse (backstory), blood, violence, panic attacks, missing parent, animal death, death.


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