Late Eclipses is the fourth installment of the highly praised Toby Daye series and I can seriously say I’m firmly hooked on this series now!

Today is week two of our readalong of  Late Eclipses (October Daye #4) ) by Seanan McGuire) arranged by Lisa from Over the Effing Rainbow.  This week I’m hosting the Q&A.  Oh my goodness what an emotional week – I’m a wreck!

The details are over here on Goodreads – the schedule is below.  If you want to join in or jump in with the comments then please do so.  Without further ado here are the questions and answers with a customary word of warning that spoilers will be lurking below:

Lily, Luna and then Tybalt’s people – why are they being targeted? 

That does seem like a silly question but I do have my kind of odd reasonings for raising it – I suppose my main train of thought was that if it’s so easy to target all these others why not just target Toby?  Clearly this is aimed at her and all I can deduce from it is that somebody is trying to badly hurt her – but why not ‘actually’ hurt Toby instead of all these others, it seems like it would be so much easier somehow.  She doesn’t really take precautions, she rushes into the fray without a second though….  I could just go with the idea that somebody is really trying to make her hurt, perhaps before finishing her off in some way – just showing how weak and vulnerable she is?  But the reverse of this is that maybe whoever it is simply can’t hurt Toby.  *clutching at straws* also springs to mind as well.

Last week we saw the Queen again and she had apparently been through a transformation of sorts herself just before announcing that Toby was to be Countess – what, if anything, do you think might be the connection between these poisonings and the happenings last week.

I’ve asked this question because I’m really hoping for enlightenment from others.  I haven’t got a clue – not even a crazy theory.  It all seems so deliciously intermingled but is it?  Are there simply two separate themes and I’m going off down the wrong beaten track.  My brain is going in crazy circles.  Gods I love this book!  That change with the Queen – it was like a sulky rebellion or something…

We visited Tybalt’s Kingdom – what were your impressions? Toby herself was caught wondering just how vast Tybalt’s court actually is – do you think there’s any significance or just a quick thought?

Every time we visit Tybalt’s kingdom I’m flooded with conflicting emotions.  Firstly this is his domain and of course being the cat kingdom – there are plenty of waifs and strays included.  It always seems a lot less glamorous than the other courts – almost like an inferior version and I get the impression that this is how Tybalt is treated in a way – it makes me wonder if there’s more to the thought above.  This is obviously a large court – even if they feel a little like the underdogs (sorry).  I could be totally off track with this one of course but it just comes across like the cat court is a little bit like the ‘poor relation’ in some way. I love it – it has a dangerous and dark feel to it and – well, laugh away – but I always conjure up in my mind that Jet’s scene from West Side Story – I know, I’m a fool of a tuck!

What I’m particularly puzzled about is the absence of the Luidaeg – I’m not sure what’s going on in that respect and one part of me wonders if somebody is attacking all of Toby’s other friends and loved ones might the Luidaeg also be under threat – as difficult to believe as that might be.

Okay, in last week’s chapters Toby tried to get help from the Luidaeg but was cut short and at the time it seemed like something dramatic was going on in the background.  Now, at the time my main thoughts were that Ms McGuire has to find a way for Toby to not always get all her answers in this way as it would become formulaic, my next feeling was annoyance at the Luidaeg for not helping.  However, after this week’s chapters I have a nagging feeling that whatever was taking place in the earlier chapters could have been significant.  Also, as all of Toby’s other friends are being targeted why not the Luidaeg – even though she does come across as invulnerable?  If I was Toby right now – I’d be visiting all my friends and putting them into hiding or a bubble, or something.

Do you think Toby is going insane? Why is she seeing Oleander but nobody else is doing so?

I don’t think Toby is going insane although clearly somebody is going to great lengths to try and make it seem that way.  Oleander – well, I’m feeling very vague about her and her abilities – she could be capable of all of this, very capable, my only bugbear is why she doesn’t leave a magical scent – there’s no doubt a very good reason for that though.  And then there’s much being made of the whole casting a shadow??

It also seems that Raysel is doing her utmost to poison everyone against Toby – what are your thoughts on Raysel and her own motives?

Well Raysel hates Toby – I don’t try to pretend I completely understand why though.  Everyone very much acts as though Toby failed her – but she was a bloody fish!  What could she do – she wasn’t sitting with her feet up reading a book and enjoying a cup of tea – she was a fish!  Her life was pretty much over bar intervention from a good friend.  Anyway, I digress.  It seems to me that Raysel is making a play for power.  It almost feels too simple and obvious to say that – especially if it involves poisoning Luna – but that’s the way it feels.

The other thing that obviously occurs to me is that there seems to be a lot of uncertainty going around concerning territories??  Or more to the point – vulnerable territories – again, is that too simple and obvious??

Final thoughts, I absolutely feel that Toby’s mother must show up?  Surely??

And look, two gorgeous banners – one for the top and bottom – I think we have a craze right here!  I’m totally ruined and need two banners for everything right now!  Greedy much!