Just finished reading . . . A Local Habitation (audiobook)

A Local Habitation (October Daye series, book 2) by Seanan McGuire

This audiobook was given to me by Brilliance Audio for review purposes.
Audiobook read by Mary Robinette Kowal.

TOBY’S HAVING A BAD DAY…

After spending fourteen years lost to both the fae and mortal worlds, only to be dragged back into Faerie by the murder of someone close to her, October “Toby” Daye really just wants to spend a little time getting her footing. She’s putting her life back together. Unfortunately, this means going back to work for Duke Sylvester Torquill of Shadowed Hills, doing her duty as a knight errant. That isn’t the sort of thing that exactly lends itself to a quiet existence, and before she knows it, Toby’s back on the road, heading for the County of Tamed Lightning in Fremont, California to check on Sylvester’s niece, January.

Things in Tamed Lightning turn out to be a lot stranger than they seemed at first glance, and Toby’s talent for finding trouble isn’t doing her any favors. With Quentin—a young foster from Sylvester’s Court—in tow, and the stakes getting higher all the time, it’s up to Toby to solve the mystery of Tamed Lightning, or face a failure whose cost will be too high for anyone to pay.

When this audiobook was offered to me for review by Brilliance Audio, I agreed to review it. Rosemary and Rue, book 1 in the October Daye series was one of my favorite urban fantasy series debuts of 2009, and I listed Seanan McGuire as one of my 2009 author discoveries. So, I had very high hopes for A Local Habitation, and, I was really pleased that it more than met my expectations.

First off, in terms of the audio production, I was very happy with Mary Robinette Kowal’s narration. Her voice was key to my enjoyment of the book, especially since ALH is told in 1st person. To me, this means her voice is Toby’s voice. MRK’s narration had a great blend of tough-girl (which Toby must be, since she is a knight errant), self-deprecating humor (Toby is always aware of her “outsider” status since she is a half-blood fae), and vulnerability (in much of ALH, she really doesn’t know what’s going on, and is struggling to protect the people around her). Her style reminded me of Marguerite Gavin, one of my favorite narrators, who is the voice of Rachel Morgan (Kim Harrison’s Hollows series) and Kitty Norville (Carrie Vaughn’s Kitty Norville series).

The action in A Local Habitation begins shortly after the events of Rosemary and Rue. Toby is still uneasy with her connection to Shadowed Hills, though her loyalty to Sylvester is unwavering. When he asks for her help in finding out info about January, she is a good soldier, takes Quentin under her wing, and sets out for Tamed Lightning.

Bad things are happening in Tamed Lightning, and Toby finds that very little is what it seems. The people she is there to help seem to be hiding something, and it quickly becomes apparent that someone within the territory is responsible for the mysterious deaths that are occurring with increasing frequency.

Most of the action has the feel of a locked room mystery, and the claustrophobic tension ratchets up as the body count escalates. Seanan McGuire is merciless with Toby, and isn’t afraid of letting her heroine twist in the wind in helpless frustration at times. Yet, this serves the action of the story, and makes for an exciting read/listen.

About halfway through, I thought I had figured out “whodunit”. I was in a state of suspense through the second half of the story wondering if I was right or not. In the end, I was only partially correct, but it was such fun trying to look at the mystery from different angles. The mystery-lover in me really enjoyed this.

My favorite character is Tybalt, the King of the Cats. He is not around during most of the action, but does appear at key points, and I really love how his and Toby’s relationship is developing. While the story is told through Toby’s pov, it is clear that she is simply not seeing (or not emotionally at a point where she is capable of seeing) where their relationship might be heading. I can’t wait for more about this!

One thing I wish had been explored, even a little bit in A Local Habitation, is Toby’s relationship with her daughter. It’s an issue that is so monumental to Toby’s personality, and the touch of melancholy which is always with her always seems to me to be tied to their estrangement. However, that is the lovely thing about a series: issues not explored in one book may be covered in the next. An Artificial Night, book 3 in the series will be released September 7, 2010.

• Seanan McGuire’s site.
• Print excerpt on author’s site.
• Audio excerpt at Audio Bookstand (Brilliance Audio).

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