A review by laurenjodi
A Local Habitation by Seanan McGuire
4.0
A Local Habitation
3.5 Stars
Half-fae private investigator, October “Toby” Daye, is sent by her liege lord, Sylvester Duke of Shadowed Hills, to look into why his niece, January O’Leary, the countess of Tamed Lightening, has suddenly stopped communicating with him. Upon her arrival, Toby learns that several of January’s subjects have been murdered and all evidence points to someone on the inside. Can Toby uncover the truth before she becomes the next victim?
Intriguing world building, an appealing heroine and a compelling mystery that kept me guessing right up until the end.
McGuire has woven an elaborate world in which the fae live alongside humans whether as changelings (half-human, half fae offspring) or full-bloods within their own parallel realms. The various fae races all possess their own unique origins, traits and skills. Moreover, the different agendas and tensions between the different groups add extra nuance to the storyline.
The mystery is a variant on Agatha Christie’s And Then There Were None with characters being picked off one by one in an isolated warehouse facility. With the increase in body count, one would think that the smaller suspect pool would make it easier to identify the culprit, but McGuire skillfully forestalls the ultimate revelation with red herrings and misdirection.
While October’s detecting skills leave much to be desired, she is, nevertheless, an endearing mix of tough street smarts, stubborn tenacity and charming vulnerability. My one small nitpick concerns her taste in men. Connor is, unfortunately, far too Beta for my tastes and the fact that he is married, albeit to an insane princess, detracts from hims appeal. Tybalt is far more interesting both as a character and as a love interest for Toby, and their banter makes for some very entertaining scenes.
In terms of the audiobook, Mary Robinette Kowal's narration is immersive and she has a wonderful lilting accent for the Irish characters.
All in all, a solid sequel and I look forward to reading more of Toby’s adventures.
3.5 Stars
Half-fae private investigator, October “Toby” Daye, is sent by her liege lord, Sylvester Duke of Shadowed Hills, to look into why his niece, January O’Leary, the countess of Tamed Lightening, has suddenly stopped communicating with him. Upon her arrival, Toby learns that several of January’s subjects have been murdered and all evidence points to someone on the inside. Can Toby uncover the truth before she becomes the next victim?
Intriguing world building, an appealing heroine and a compelling mystery that kept me guessing right up until the end.
McGuire has woven an elaborate world in which the fae live alongside humans whether as changelings (half-human, half fae offspring) or full-bloods within their own parallel realms. The various fae races all possess their own unique origins, traits and skills. Moreover, the different agendas and tensions between the different groups add extra nuance to the storyline.
The mystery is a variant on Agatha Christie’s And Then There Were None with characters being picked off one by one in an isolated warehouse facility. With the increase in body count, one would think that the smaller suspect pool would make it easier to identify the culprit, but McGuire skillfully forestalls the ultimate revelation with red herrings and misdirection.
While October’s detecting skills leave much to be desired, she is, nevertheless, an endearing mix of tough street smarts, stubborn tenacity and charming vulnerability. My one small nitpick concerns her taste in men. Connor is, unfortunately, far too Beta for my tastes and the fact that he is married, albeit to an insane princess, detracts from hims appeal. Tybalt is far more interesting both as a character and as a love interest for Toby, and their banter makes for some very entertaining scenes.
In terms of the audiobook, Mary Robinette Kowal's narration is immersive and she has a wonderful lilting accent for the Irish characters.
All in all, a solid sequel and I look forward to reading more of Toby’s adventures.