A Local Habitation by Seanan McGuire
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Series: Book two in the October Daye series
Publication Date: March 2010
ISBN: 978-0756405960
Page Count: 400
My Rating: ★★★★★

Summary

Now comes the second in the series-from a dynamic new fantasy talent! Toby Daye-a half-human, half-fae changeling-has been an outsider from birth. After getting burned by both sides of her heritage, Toby has denied the fae world, retreating to a "normal" life. Unfortunately for her, the Faerie world had other ideas... Now her liege, the Duke of the Shadowed Hills, has asked Toby to go to the Country of Tamed Lightening to make sure all is well with his niece, Countess January O'Leary. It seems like a simple enough assignment-until Toby discovers that someone has begun murdering people close to January, and that if the killer isn't stopped, January may be the next victim.

REVIEW

It was great to be back with Toby Daye and her fabulous Fae world in A LOCAL HABITATION. This time the plot was very much a whodunnit storyline that kept me guessing right until the end.

The opening scene features a very tipsy October, and a chance encounter with Tybalt, King of Cats, whose character I am quickly becoming fascinated with. I don't know if it's just me trying to see something that isn't there with those two, but I'm half way convinced he likes Toby a lot more than he lets on. To which (if I'm correct) Toby is completely oblivious. It's a very subtle game McGuire's playing, but I think I like the teasing.

Sadly, since most of the rest of book takes place in the county of Tamed Lightening where Toby is sent by Sylvester to find out why the people there are dying, this meant leaving many of the secondary characters behind, including Tybalt. But we met some very interesting new ones and luckily, she got to take young Quentin with her (whom I just adore), so it wasn't so bad.

Seanan McGuire is very good leaving her readers little trails of breadcrumbs to follow in her writing. Perhaps in the form of a character exhibiting strange body language or behaviours, or making the odd ambiguous comment. This "show, don't tell" technique is driving me nuts with suspicions and theories. Needless to say, I'm heading straight for the next book to fins out more.

5 stars! ★★★★★