Heaps of Pearl

October Daye #9.1

by Seanan McGuire

Baron Patrick Twycross was an unlanded, comfortably unambitious man. He knew that one day he might inherit his family's estate, but as that day was hundreds of years and most of a continent away, he was content to spend his time fiddling in his workshop and trying to keep his friend Simon from doing something foolish enough to get himself killed. He was happy; he had no aspirations. So how did he wind up married to a mermaid?

When King Gilad holds a ball in honor of the abdicating Duke of Saltmist and his daughter, the Duchess-in-waiting, there's no real way for the nobles of the Mists to avoid attending. All Patrick is hoping to do is survive the night without utterly embarrassing either himself or Simon, or attracting the wrath of Simon's wife. Alas for him, things are going to get a lot more interesting than he's counting on...

Heaps of Pearl is best read after The Winter Long. It is a historical story, but contains character relationship spoilers through book eight.

Genres: Urban Fantasy, Fantasy, Short Stories, Fae, Fiction, Paranormal, Magic

24 pages, ebook

First published January 5, 2016

About the author

Hi! I'm Seanan McGuire, author of the Toby Daye series (Rosemary and Rue, A Local Habitation, An Artificial Night, Late Eclipses), as well as a lot of other things. I'm also Mira Grant (www.miragrant.com), author of Feed and Deadline.

Born and raised in Northern California, I fear weather and am remarkably laid-back about rattlesnakes. I watch too many horror movies, read too many comic books, and share my house with two monsters in feline form, Lilly and Alice (Siamese and Maine Coon).

I do not check this inbox. Please don't send me messages through Goodreads; they won't be answered. I don't want to have to delete this account. :(

Reviews

[Susana · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 Stars

Well it would get a higher rating if it had been longer!
As for the rest, I loved seeing how Dianda and Patrick met. Also, it was curious to see some other characters _ not revealing whom _ from another perspective.

[Steven · Rating 5 out of 5]

Seriously one of the best meet-cutes I've read! I love those two!

[Jessica ❁ ➳ Silverbow ➳ ❁ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Patrick meets Dianda. Adorable.

[h o l l i s · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was weird.

[Jo · Rating 4 out of 5]

"I don't like it when people fight for me. I'm quite capable of fighting for myself."
"Then you must fight for me, lady, as I do not know one end of a sword from the other."

Ever wondered how Duchess Dianda Lorden, the regent of the Undersea Duchy of Saltmist and her husband had met? This little novella gives a very sweet view of their first encounter.

Patrick and Dianda had such a cute first meeting, him not knowing who she was, both smitten with the other, their social awkwardness making them perfect for each other :-D It ended on quite a sad note, because understandably he thought nothing would come of him and the new Duchess of Saltmist. Obviously he was wrong, but we don’t get to see what happened after he found out who she really was. I must say I would have loved to know what happened next.

"If I were not a married man, I would make a project of you, and teach you how to enter every room on my arm, envied by all, until you believed yourself as valuable as I know you to be." He leaned close as he all but whispered in my ear, "You are too often alone, Patrick. You forget how beautiful you are."

How strange it was to see Simon Torquill before he became the bad guy. He was such a good friend to Patrick, and so nice. It’s actually so sad to know how far he has fallen from the man he used to be…

I didn't hear a word they said after that. I was too busy listening to the echoes of her laughter, in the shipwreck she had so quickly made of my heart.

Once again Seanan McGuire has shown her mastery with words. Her writing is so beautiful, it always amazes me the emotional punch she gives with her novellas. A must read for all fans of this series.

[Amy (Other Amy) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Methought I saw a thousand fearful wrecks;
Ten thousand men that fishes gnaw'd upon;
Wedges of gold, great anchors, heaps of pearl,
Inestimable stones, unvalued jewels,
All scatter'd in the bottom of the sea
-William Shakespeare, King Richard III

"Is there real food here? Because I will hit you with a chair if it gets me real food," she said.

So, how does a land lubber end up married to a mermaid? Judging by this fun little short, offered for free from the author for her own birthday, the answer is not entirely meat and cake, but meat and cake wouldn't be far off, as answers go. This is a fun little bit of fan service offering up Patrick and Dianda's meeting, a first date of sorts. The primary interest here, for me, is the quick look at Patrick's friends, who I shall leave nameless due to series spoilers.

As usual with the October Daye short stories, a word about the series is in order. This short is set prior to the story "Never Shines the Sun" and the first book of the series, Rosemary and Rue , but it contains spoilers for the series through book eight, The Winter Long , and McGuire herself recommends you have read at least that far in the series first. (Aside from spoilers, you will not have any idea who these people are if you have not read at least through the middle of the series.) I stand by my usual recommendation: Read this series in publication order, and you will not go wrong. So, if you you've not yet dipped into the life and times of Sir October Daye and her friends, head on over to Rosemary and Rue and check it out. If you're all up to speed, this lovely short is available for free download in ePub, MOBI, and PDF right here:
http://seananmcguire.com/tobyshorts.php

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love the way Seanan McGuire fills in the backstory of some of her side characters through her collection of short stories. Heaps of Pearl can be downloaded for free from her website here and although it's technically a series prequel because these events occur long before Rosemary and Rue you'll give yourself MAJOR spoilers for certain relationships if you read it before book 8 so please don't read this until after The Winter Long.

If you're a fan of Patrick and Dianda then you're going to love this, let's face it it's not every day a very land based Daoine Sidhe ends up married to a mermaid (or a Merrow if you want to get technical) so I always wondered how they met and fell in love. This is the story of their very first meeting and it was totally adorable and a perfect example of a meet-cute! I love how socially awkward they both are and the way they'd much rather spend a party hiding together in the kitchens than socialising with the rest of the court. It's definitely the start of a beautiful friendship and I'm glad we get the chance to see the next step in their relationship in Shore to Shore.

What I found most surprising though was getting the chance to see Simon back in the days when he was happily married and was actually a nice guy. It made me sad to realise how far he's fallen because nothing about the guy we know now makes you think he could be such a good friend to Patrick. He's not the only familiar face though either so you'll have fun seeing several characters in a different light.

[Ina · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars

This was such a cute short story. We get to see how Patrick and Dianda of Undersea met and let me tell you, it's charming. I've liked Patrick even since he was first introduced, but seeing what a lonely, geeky man he was, I like him even more.

I really wish there would be sequel to this story.

[Dev · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some men were born friends to logic, capable of grasping both its presence and its absence. Other men could be led to logic. Then there was Simon Torquill, who had never encountered a terrible idea that he didn't think of as a pleasant way to spend the hours between midnight and morning.

I know I know, this short story is mostly about Patrick and Dianda, but that line definitely made me laugh and I was glad that Simon put in a small cameo. I would love to know more about Simon and Patrick's friendship in future short stories. This story was really cute and I love how awkward Patrick is and how Dianda basically just barreled in like I'M HUNGRY and tricked him into taking her on a secret date. With all the backstabbing nobles running around they are definitely a breath of fresh air in this series.

[Theresa · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 Stars... This is a sweet novella depicting the first meeting between Patrick and Dianda... I found Patrick to be endearing and Dianda to be vulnerable but formidable... The innocent flirtation was infectious... It was also interesting to see Simon Torquill in a different time; engaging as a friend, husband, and father... I enjoyed getting this glimpse of the past and into what becomes an everlasting relationship:)

[Ivy · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 stars

Excellent story. Nice to know how Patrick and Dianda first met. Also good to know that Patrick and Simon are/were friends. Good to finally be able to have a story that has Simon, Amandine, and August Torquill. Hope October will be able to find her sister. Can't wait to read Once Broken Faith!!! Bring on the short stories please!!!

[Carolyn F. · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a sweet, sweet story. It's about how the Duchess Saltmist met Patrick. I just loved it!

[Christina (A Reader of Fictions) · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars

Oh my god, this novella was so unexpectedly cute. First of all, it was totally shocking to see Simon and Amandine as real people. Like wuuuuuuut.

But then Patrick and Dianda meeting was so freaking cute and shippy.

One of my favorites of the October Daye novellas for sure.

[Paulina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cute meet-cute story about Patrick. Well fleshed out despite it being a short story, as always.

[Darcy · Rating 3 out of 5]

This one was a fun one to read, especially if you read it long after it came out and know what is happening in the present to Dianda and Patrick. I loved how they met and how Patrick showed such kindness to Dianda thinking her a peon like himself.

[Chris · Rating 3 out of 5]

How Patrick met the Duchess-in-Waiting of Saltmist.

[Annie · Rating 5 out of 5]

My babies are precious and I love them.

[Katie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very nice

[Arie ☂ · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Why don't you tell me about yourself? I'm a captive audience, at least until we run out of cheese."
"This is the King's kitchen, missy," said a passing serving girl, sounding faintly offended. "We never run out of cheese."
"You heard the lady," said Dianda, turning back to me. "I'll expect your entire life story now, if you would be so kind. Don't make me ask again. There's still the chance that I'll grow weary of your company and hit you with a chair."

4 stars. Adorable meet cute! I just wish this were a novella so we could see more of Patrick and Dianda's courtship.

[Geli · Rating 4 out of 5]

Why, why isn't it longer? The two are clearly a delightful pair: She a violent heiress, he an inventor, who really doesn't care about his title that much. I bet they would have the most unusual, sweet romance imaginable.

And there is Simon and Amy and their daughter! I loved the short glimpse we got into their life and, oh, just how did that family break apart that badly?

[Becky · Rating 5 out of 5]

heh heh heh

[Colleen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved seeing fairie life from someone other than Toby and the main cast. Nice to get background on Patrick and the Duchy of Saltmist.

[Brok3n · Rating 5 out of 5]

Introducing Patrick and Dianda

Seanan McGuire recommends reading Heaps of Pearl after The Winter Long, which is the eighth novel in her October Daye Series. This presumably explains why the Goodreads page for the series lists Heaps of Pearl as book 8.1 in the series. In fact, Heaps of Pearl takes place in 1840, long before the events of any of the October Daye novels. But you need to abandon simplistic ideas of linear time when you read the October Daye series. It is frequently the case that books set in the present modify the reader's understanding of the past. The Winter Long is the most important example.

If you read the series in the canonical order, you will first meet Dianda and Patrick as the ruling Duchess of Saltmist and her consort in One Salt Sea. Saltmist is an undersea Faery knowe, and Dianda is a Merrow (i.e., a mermaid). In One Salt Sea their sons are kidnapped and Toby finds and rescues them. In that book Patrick and Dianda are superficial characters without much depth. However, McGuire has written an additional five stories about their pasts that explores their characters in more depth. Heaps of Pearl, available for free download from McGuire's web site is the first of these. The remaining four are available for a very modest payment as rewards on her Patreon page.

I like these stories a lot, mainly because Patrick is delightful. Patrick is a minor Daoine Sidhe noble, who becomes an artificer -- an inventor. He is unpretentious and kind, which are rare traits among the Daoine. Dianda is also delightful, and her most delightful trait is that she loves Patrick. Not yet in this story -- in this story she and Patrick meet for the first time. Love is in their future. The Patrick and Dianda stories tell of their against-the-odds but ultimately successful courtship.

[Ben Truong · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Heaps of Pearl" is a short story from the October Daye series written by Seanan McGuire, which can be downloaded for free from her website. It is a historical story that takes place well before the first book Rosemary and Rue, but it is best to read after the eighth book, The Winter Long, as there are character relationship spoilers that are revealed in the eighth book.

The story tells the first meeting of Baron Patrick Twycross and Dianda Lorden – the future Duke and Duchess of the Undersea. It is a rather odd pairing, as Patrick Twycross was a land-based fae, who fell in love and abdicated his station to marry the Duchess-in-waiting, Dianda Lorden – a mermaid.

"Heaps of Pearl" is an adorable and a wonderful example of a meet-cute. I loved how socially awkward they both are and the way they'd much rather spend a party hiding together in the kitchens than socializing with the rest of the court – it is a wonderful start to a beautiful relationship, which we all know promises more.

Surprisingly, it was interesting to read how Simon Torquill was during this time. It was rather nice to read him happily married and carefree, which reinforces how sad to see how far he has fallen from this point of time to the current situation in The Winter Long.

"Heaps of Pearl" is a quaint short story about the first encounter of Baron Patrick Twycross and Duchess-in-Waitng Dianda Lorden. It is a wonderful read and shows the backstory of two characters that become powerful players in the Faerie World. McGuire is smart to use her short stories as backstories to major characters of a series that was difficult or impossible to include in the main series. It is also wonderful to experiment with different points of views as the main series is and should always be devoted to October Daye's perspective.

All in all, "Heaps of Pearl" is a well written short story about the first encounter between the future Duke and Duchess of the Undersea. It is a worthy and wonderful addition to the October Daye universe – enriching it just a tad more.

[Louise · Rating 4 out of 5]

The way Seanan McGuire guilelessly drops these little nuggets of backstory for characters within the series that alter our perception of them entirely is nothing short of sneakily thoughtful.
Patrick and Dianda are two characters I can honestly say I haven’t spent a lot of time contemplating, purely because they seem so solid and stable, a true power couple that uses said power wisely and beneficently. Also they’re loyal friends to Toby and her rabble, which automatically makes them top tier people, so there never seemed a need to unearth their beginnings when their current state is so satisfying to behold - especially when Dianda bitchslaps someone with her tail; don’t fuck with the Duchess of Saltmist.
But I should’ve learned by now that no one in this series is unworthy of a little… informative digging, a minor deep dive into their history, and in the case of Patrick and Dianda, an adorable flashback to their meet-cute which is so them, it’s not even funny.

"Is there real food here? Because I will hit you with a chair if it gets me real food," she said.

Seanan, you spoil us.
Also with glimpses of Simon Torquill, Amandine, and August before everything went horribly, heinously, hopelessly wrong.
I’ll say it again:

[Mercurybard · Rating 5 out of 5]

Side note: apparently there are fae who thought candlelight would attract the attention of Blind Michael and his Ride, so that's why trapping pixies in jars to use as light sources became a thing.

Seeing Simon Torquill through the eyes of a friend is just weird. It's set in 1840, and Simon and Amandine are still living together. Also, Simon flirting with Patrick is also extremely weird.

"The structure of lands and titles in Faerie is odd, and seems to have been devised to be uniquely
frustrating. Most titles above the rank of "knight" or "lady" convey with them a certain amount of land, possibly with a knowe already constructed and ready for occupation. Others, well. Don't."

Patrick as a budding gentleman-engineer and sailor is fascinating. Who would have thought from the books?

Etienne! Patrick finds him extremely boring.

"[Amandine] wore a gown that was two hundred years out of style, and wore it so well that it seemed no one should consider anything else". Also weird: seeing Amandine as a real person and not the absent pain in Toby's ass.

August is only 16, which means she's 82(?) when the earthquake happens.

"Is there real food here? Because I will hit you with a chair if it gets me real food" -- hello, Dianda, good to see you are the same here as in the future

"I don't like it when people fight for me. I'm quite capable of fighting for myself."
"Then you must fight for me, lady, as I do not know one end of a sword from the other." - they are so perfect for each

[Liz (Quirky Cat) · Rating 5 out of 5]

While Heaps of Pearl is set in a distant past, I would strongly recommend waiting to read it until after you've finished The Winter Long (book eight). What happens within this short helps to explain those events, and thus it's fairly riddled with spoilers!

Baron Patrick Twycross is a different sort of fae, at least in the eyes of many. He's unlanded and content with that fact. All he wants is to be left alone to his projects, which for the most part, is what he gets.

That is unless King Gilad is hosting a ball – one that is quite mandatory. Then Patrick must step out of his comfort zone and into something new. This time around, he's about to get more than he could have hoped for – or feared.

“What's more, I have less than no interest in the meeting of mermaids. I prefer ships which stay above the waves to scaly women who waste their time beneath them.”

Heaps of Pearl is an entertaining and charming tale – one that fans will enjoy, especially if they love the curious relationship of Dianda and Patrick. Their love is a quirky one, but that just makes it all the more endearing in my book.

In case it wasn't obvious by this point, this is the story of how these two met. It makes sense that there would be a story to go along with this one, as it isn't likely that they would simply stumble across one another otherwise. Part of the fairytale charm, I'm sure.

Read more reviews over at Quirky Cat's Fat Stacks>

[Nirkatze · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is short, but SO cute! It's essentially Patrick & Dianda's meet-cute story, set during the reign of King Gilad. Dianda is a total riot and I love her.

I read this after The Winter Long, and it's a good place to do these shorts. There's about 7 stories or so, mostly from the Patreon, following Patrick, Dianda, and the Torquills in the mid 1800's in the Kingdom in the Mists. There are some casual spoilers for character reveals in the Winter Long if you read them before book 8, but the stories follow very nicely after getting those reveals.

The shorts are:
Heaps of Pearl (Autumn 1840) Free eShort on McGuire's Website
Shore to Shore (Spring 1841) Patreon Story
Write in Water (Summer 1841) Patreon Story
Live in Brass (Summer 1841) Patreon Story
The Ambitious Ocean (Summer 1841) Patreon Story
And Thrice Again (Summer 1841) Patreon Story
Shine in Pearl (Oct 23, 1901) Novella included at the end of A Killing Frost

There're also another series of shorts set during modern times with the Lordens, but the reading guide I'm following on the Wiki recommends reading those after A Killing Frost.

[Dawn · Rating 3 out of 5]

So... I give this a 3 out of 5. Not because I didn't like it (I did) but because it feels UNFINISHED AS SH*T. Like, Seanan, dude, woman. The heck.

Another historical novella, this one concerning Patrick & Dianda from the Undersea. Two characters who I've enjoyed meeting, but certainly weren't in my faves. But ones who I would enjoy learning more about. Also featuring Simon, Amondine and August, which is good historical context.

I do not like how it ended. We know how the relationship ends from One Salt Sea, and beyond, but I do not like 'here's how it started' with the major gap.

Further, having read this back to back with the Tybalt romance novella, I also am rather tired of Seanan using elided identity (however appropriate to the Fae) as the basis for misunderstandings in her romances. I like that she mostly doesn't do it in the main books, but it growing wearisome for the novellas.

[Jenevieve · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review first published on My Blog.

King Gilad is holding a ball in honor of the new Duchess-in-Waiting of Saltmist and all nobles in the Kingdom of the Mists are expected to attend. Baron Patrick Twycross grumbles but figures he will do as he usually does and make sure his face is seen before finding a place to retreat to safely until he can leave without causing offense. What he didn't plan on was finding a woman he had never seen before threatening to throw chairs at people if she didn't get some real food immediately. Since the kitchens are one of Patrick's favorite haunts, he gallantly offers to help her procur a real meal. Patrick certainly had no idea that he was feeding the Duchess-in-Waiting...

Having already met Dianda and Patrick in the Toby universe, it was fun to see how they first met and began the relationship that we already have seen established.