Toby Daye finds herself in a position she's wildly unsuited for--diplomat to the Court of Silences, trying to prevent a war between the Mists and Silences. But the deposed queen of the Mists is living in Silences, and the king of Silences is a raging bigoted despot with no intention of giving up his power or allowing Toby to talk him into taking back his declaration of war. Stopping the oncoming fight and removing the king as a threat is going to take every resource and ability Toby has. 
 I'm seriously thinking about going back and revising all my previous ratings for Toby Daye books down, because this one is truly a 5-star book. McGuire has played a long game in developing Toby's character, and it was risky at the beginning (Toby wasn't that likable and she was a terrible detective), but it's paid off for those of us who have stuck with the series. It feels like The Winter Long pushed us into a new phase of Toby's life, and now things have really kicked up a notch--including Toby herself, who's a genuine badass at this point. 
 I just started reading these books about six months ago, and it's weird to realize that I'm now fully caught up with the series and have to wait on the next book like everyone else--not for a couple of weeks until the library's copy comes free, but for at least a year. Eek.