A Local Habitation (October Daye, #2)

May 08, 2011 The Holy Terror rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: urban-fantasy, fairies, bought-02-10, color-yellow, owned, dumb-females, magic, 2010

I really wanted to like this one. I did. But it was bloated and Toby was a terrible detective. Let me explain...

Toby gets a visit from Sylvester, her liege, just as she's starting to pick up the pieces of her life from the last book. He wants her to check on his niece, January, over in another kingdom because she hasn't check in for a few weeks. January's county is situated in between his and another Duchess's lands so if he goes to help her there would be political conflict. So he asks Toby to...more

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Lilli Perspice Your review covered my complaints nicely. Had I not already purchased the next two books, this book would have been a series-ender for me. I'm off to...more
Jun 20, 2011 03:24pm

Theshrewedshrew I am with you, I am not even 200 pages in and I am pretty sure I know the answer to all 3. I read your review cause I was wondering if its just me. I...more I am with you, I am not even 200 pages in and I am pretty sure I know the answer to all 3. I read your review cause I was wondering if its just me. I read the comments and came up with a solution.

1. Toby is severely out of whack with mortal tech. I mean we know she was born in the 50's lived there till she was 9, and 14 years ago she was living as a mortal/fae detective also playing knight.

In the first book, I let a lot of things slip. The fact a knight of any court goes around unarmed... I am having horror-esque nightmares of weekends of d&d in high school where we woke up outside a bar, in clothes and all of our gear taken.

Right away we realize Toby isn't a very big thinker. First book she would have already won her daughter back, she was found naked in a garden with cuts and scrapes. She could have said she was kidnapped and kept prisoner for a long, time, never seeing her captors face. Asking the police officer to get her a gallon of chocolate ice cream, that she had to take her baby some ice cream. And she would have been in like flyn. But no... Toby sulked. Which is fine, and even understandable.

Toby is a 1940's private eye. She takes pictures and tails via the car. She has magical abilities that are rare in fae but not all that rare.

She doesn't do cell phones... I have to wonder if that's a personal haunting or doesn't want the ability to call at anytime.

The only question I have yet to answer, because like Toby the author is pretty blunt. Is what is toby's 10 year plan. I mean I get she is slowly regaining contacts. She is gaining status again, she is forced into these games... Because lets face it, Toby as much as she says that she isn't just reacting, is moving exactly like a pawn.

Look at the first book, she moved one square at a time, then was confronted and for 14 years, waited for the game to start up again, for her piece to be put back on the board. Evening and (i've forgotten his name Darius/Darvin/w.e.) game, which might have been a system of moves on a larger game look at the queen's reaction. First she hides, then she starts trying to gain momentum before crashing into her old life, unfortunately crashing from the word go. This book started off amazing. Tybalt is one of the reasons I still am going to read not only this book but the next as well.

Toby is thick, about as thick as a ton of bricks... I just wish the author wouldn't constantly shove it into our face.

Also about the coffee thing. Here is my thoughts, remember how in the first book she talked about caffeine at her old job, I think the author is trying to stress that a semblance of the old Toby is re-forming. Just I don't really enjoy the way she is going about it. Also as you said detective she aint. But possibly the reason she aint super detective is one out of touch with tech, two not back up to 100% yet, and three the readers aren't typically mystery fans.(less)
Mar 07, 2012 04:39pm

Jan 03, 2011 The Flooze rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: owned, urban-fantasy-paranormal, vanquished_2011, glutton_for_punishment

ETA: I've continued reading this series and want to point out I gave books four and five considerably higher ratings. Four stars each.
_________________________

** Almost a 3 **

Seanan McGuire is talented. She’s just useless at crafting mysteries.

Unlike the first book, A Local Habitation resulted in me liking Toby. She is strong-minded and determined. She’s also quite amusing in her interactions, particularly when conversing with Quentin or Tybalt. She’s fiercely loyal, holds duty in high regard,...more ETA: I've continued reading this series and want to point out I gave books four and five considerably higher ratings. Four stars each.
_________________________

** Almost a 3 **

Seanan McGuire is talented. She’s just useless at crafting mysteries.

Unlike the first book, A Local Habitation resulted in me liking Toby. She is strong-minded and determined. She’s also quite amusing in her interactions, particularly when conversing with Quentin or Tybalt. She’s fiercely loyal, holds duty in high regard, and cares deeply for her friends.

That said, she’s a terrible investigator. Most of this book takes place on one compound, and yet Toby is still running from place to place, finding more bodies than clues, and frequently damaging herself in the process. It’s almost comical. When she does come across a clue, she seems to dismiss examining it further. She’s always allowing something else to take precedence rather than stopping to think things over. Her investigation includes little more than sifting through paperwork and conducting a few spells. It’s tiresome, watching people get killed while perfectly good hints go to waste. At the end, the case is solved primarily through the process of elimination. No wit, no intuition necessary.

And yet I admit McGuire has talent. Her skill at world-building is evident, as showcased in her manipulation of fae lore to create a believable, varied cast of characters and an understandable magic system. She is adept at humorous dialogue, made clear by the opening scenes between drunken Toby and sober Tybalt. So I’m not sure why she fails so spectacularly at weaving together plot threads to form an intriguing mystery. I want so much to like these books, but the investigations are so haphazard and pointless that it’s hard to be satisfied. Toby is supposed to be a professional PI, but apart from her skill with blood magic she lacks the necessary tools to solve anything. While I might like her as a friend, I certainly wouldn’t assign her any work.

Liking October Daye and the rest of the characters, I’m willing to read the next book. However, I don’t know how long I’ll stick with this series unless there’s a marked improvement in Toby’s sleuthing.
(less)

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May 20, 2010 Rawles rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: urban-fantasy, time-contemporary

Holy crap, this book was SO FRUSTRATING.

Okay, so Toby is clearly the worst detective in the entire world. Every single mystery was easily solved a quarter of the way through the book, but she spends the entire book meandering around, refusing to suspect THE MOST OBVIOUS SUSPECT, and ultimately triumphing through the process of elimination after almost everyone she came there to save has been murdered.

Uh...good job?!?!

But the thing that I find most frustrating is that Toby is supposed to be so cy...more Holy crap, this book was SO FRUSTRATING.

Okay, so Toby is clearly the worst detective in the entire world. Every single mystery was easily solved a quarter of the way through the book, but she spends the entire book meandering around, refusing to suspect THE MOST OBVIOUS SUSPECT, and ultimately triumphing through the process of elimination after almost everyone she came there to save has been murdered.

Uh...good job?!?!

But the thing that I find most frustrating is that Toby is supposed to be so cynical and world-weary, yet she seems to have ZERO UNDERSTANDING of people. Why do I think that? One very important reason: despite it being BLAZINGLY OBVIOUS since literally the FIRST SCENE in which he ever appeared in the first book, Toby somehow still has not managed to even SUSPECT that Tybalt is completely in love with her.

Dude appears to spend 95% of his time prowling around her, pulling her pigtails, being HIGHLY protective, possessive, and concerned about her safety, and clutching her to himself when she is injured (which she is a LOT). He carries her home when she is drunk and puts her to bed! He pleads desperately for her to not be dead as she passes in and out of consciousness from her injuries! She has heard his LITERAL ACTUAL THOUGHTS about how after being lost for so long she had finally come back ~to him~. And yet! YET! She persists in believing this fiction that he dislikes her--that theirs is a relationship of mutual enmity.

Does he actually need to RUB UP AGAINST HER AND PURR?! You know, in humanoid form SINCE HE HAS ALREADY DONE THIS IN CAT FORM.

(For her part, she spends an inordinate amount of time checking him out in his tight pants, pondering his VIRILITY AND MASCULINITY, and spends the entire second book wearing his jacket and noting continuously how it smells like him. So apparently it is not just other people she's terrible at reading.)

I hate to break it to you, Toby, but TYBALT WANTS TO LOVE YOU GENTLY WITH HIS BODY, OKAY? HE WANTS TO LOVE YOU ALL NIGHT LONG, GIRL.

GET WITH THE PROGRAM.

What with the CONSTANT reinforcement of this entire subplot, I can only guess that the author is building up to a REALIZATION/REVEAL but the problem is his interest and her "subconscious" reciprocal feelings are so HAM-FISTED and BLATANT that you are left to wonder how socially inept or just plain stupid she has to be have never so much as NOTICED this. And the fact that it is in first person means that WE KNOW she has somehow never noticed.

Listen, I'm not even saying she has to jump the guy. I mean, I'd hit it! But whatever. I'm just saying she needs to be LESS ABSURDLY OBLIVIOUS. ACCEPT THAT HE HAS MORE THAN ANTAGONISTIC FEELINGS TOWARDS HER. It stretches credulity far past the breaking point!

Man, whatever. 2.5 stars since this has at least succeeded in FRUSTRATING me enough to make me care.(less)

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Jun 18, 2012 Kristen rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: no-one

Shelves: urban-fantasy, mystery, fiction

Well, that was terrible.

Firstly, the pacing. McGuire could have had a book a quarter the size of this novel if she had cut out the repetitions. I cannot believe how many times the characters explained to themselves, explained to each other, or explained to us what was going on. Honestly, this was a novel written for adults, not chimps.

Secondly, the characters. Initially, in Rosemary and Rue, I didn't fully enjoy October as the main character. She doesn't really have much going for her; she isn't...more Well, that was terrible.

Firstly, the pacing. McGuire could have had a book a quarter the size of this novel if she had cut out the repetitions. I cannot believe how many times the characters explained to themselves, explained to each other, or explained to us what was going on. Honestly, this was a novel written for adults, not chimps.

Secondly, the characters. Initially, in Rosemary and Rue, I didn't fully enjoy October as the main character. She doesn't really have much going for her; she isn't all that intelligent, she doesn't have much fae power, and she's not really all that pleasant. You have to give a character more than stubbornness bordering on the ridiculous. However, as we got to know her she had a sort of street-kid charm, in that she was tough but vulnerable and the moments when she did let herself care were actually sweet. In this novel, the flaws in this protagonist were glaringly obvious. She is a PI without the first clue as to how to initiate an investigation. She spends pages declaring that she is the expert and everyone needs to listen to her without actually coming to any conclusions at all, thoroughout the entire course of the novel. The secondary characters were all haphazardly thrown together, and were so inconsistent that I often felt like I was missing a valuable plot point in the apparent sudden onset bipolar disorder that was affecting them all simultaneously. Unfortunately, this was not the case; they were just poorly developed.

Thirdly, the dialogue. Dear lord in heaven above, the dialogue. October used the 'I know it's not a plan, but do you have a better idea?' line approximately six times. Conversations skipped between topics with absolutely no direction. Characters were constantly posturing or threatening with no reason or regard for the fact that they were stuck in a building where people were being snuffed out at an alarming rate.

Forthly, the plot. I almost can't believe this was published, it was so plodding and poorly developed. It read like a corny horror movie (oh no, something mysterious is happening over there, you must go check it out. Oh no, communication with the outside has been diabled. Oh no, we are dying when we end up alone in this creepy building, but let's none of us stick together. Oh no, there is a pressing and important reason why no one can come to our aid and yet we cannot just leave the dangerous place. Oh no, the killer must be one of us.). They established that it was someone on the inside who was killing the others, but never tried to actually narrow this down. Everyone wandered around by themselves, and other than lecturing them that it was dangerous, Toby (the miracle detective) had no problem with this. (I would honestly shoot anyone I found by themselves. If you are not concerned that you will be murdered, you must be the murderer *pow, pow*). I addition, there is only the sketchiest reason they all stayed in the building where they were being murdered. I mean, if you were worried about April, why didn't everyone but April and Jan leave the building? Ta da! And how was April going to get hurt, anyway? She was a frigging computer program. So much stupid in one book.

I couldn't even finish this. I skipped to the last two chapters, verified that I was right about who-dunnit and what the heck was up with Alex/whats-her-face, and read the villain monologue about why this senseless plotline was inflicted on me. Although Rosemary and Rue was incredibly slow to start, it at least went somewhere and made sense according to the characters and their rules. This book was a terrible parody of a murder mystery, with cardboard characters, and the repetitive writing of author trying to beat us overhead with the plot points she did come up with, in the hopes that it will distract us from the gaping holes.

This book is on my 'incomplete' list because I could not inflict it on myself any longer, and I will not be reading any more of this series.(less)

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Jun 07, 2012 Anna rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, urban-fantasy, reviewed, horror

Going into this what I hoped for was more of what I loved about Rosemary & Rue: excellent world building, likeable & interesting characters and evocative, engaging writing, and less of what I didn't: catastrophically poor detective work and all-around poor plotting. And that is exactly what I got, so I am very happy and have already bought the next book in the series. Though I am determined not to start the next one tonight, because I find these books so gripping that I stay up way too l...more Going into this what I hoped for was more of what I loved about Rosemary & Rue: excellent world building, likeable & interesting characters and evocative, engaging writing, and less of what I didn't: catastrophically poor detective work and all-around poor plotting. And that is exactly what I got, so I am very happy and have already bought the next book in the series. Though I am determined not to start the next one tonight, because I find these books so gripping that I stay up way too late reading them & I desperately need a good night's sleep tonight or I will never get through my day tomorrow. It's taking quite a lot of willpower though, I'd love to be back in Faerie San Francisco with Toby & the gang. Still, needs must.

While A Local Habitation is still not fluff, it is far, far less angst ridden than Rosemary & Rue and all the better for it. Rosemary & Rue sometimes dipped into the sort of character-torture I really don't enjoy, and while there is still a good helping of noir here it is more in balance with the rest of the book. And this time there is an actual plot! A pretty decent one too, but in order for it to be told as a mystery instead of just a straightforward urban fantasy adventure I think it would need to be a bit more layered & complex and told with more misdirection and a few red herrings. Reading this book I would get puzzled because every now & then Seanan McGuire would clearly telegraph a piece of information to the reader, but keep Toby out of the loop, leading to me once again becoming incredibly frustrated with Toby's catastrophic lack of curiosity, insight and analytic thought. I can't decide if this was just an odd authorial choice or the result of this being only McGuire's second novel. Either way it really didn't work. For example, it was immediately obvious (view spoiler) Things like that really shake your faith in a detective. And the book is full of things like that, the plot is clear as day to the reader long before Toby has a clue what is going on. It's an aggravating failure in an otherwise fabulously entertaining novel. And the thing is, these books don't need to be mysteries, Seanan McGuire has created a wonderfully enticing world full of excitement & intrigue that I enjoy spending time in. My hope for the next book is that either she learns how to tell a mystery well, dropping a fair number of clues without giving the whole thing away from the word go, or that she allows Toby to keep apace with the reader, figuring things out in tandem with us, or that she gives the whole mystery genre up and just takes us along on an adventurous journey through her faerieland. I'm looking forward to finding out what comes next!

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Feb 04, 2012 Tammy rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fae, uf

A Local Habitation is much better than Rosemary and Rue. So why did I give both books the same rating? This book had soo much potential! But there were also some issues: (view spoiler)...more

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Nov 28, 2012 branewurms rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: adult-fiction, sci-fi-fantasy, read-2012

Hmm, idk, I just didn't think this was very good? But somehow I was interested enough to keep reading.

Everyone is so DENSE in this series. Everything is so obvious from miles away, it's kind of tedious waiting for the characters to catch up. Toby, you are supposed to be a PI! Really! I was willing to cut you some slack in the first book b/c REASONS, but this was just ridiculous. (Especially on that whole Alex/Terrie thing. Who didn't realize what was going on there from almost the start?)

There'...more

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Aug 23, 2012 Lynsey (The Demon Librarian) rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: book-boyfriend, squee-worthy, favourites, rotflmao, fae-alicious, magic-tastic, shifter-ific, cracking-mystery, romantic-elements, there-s-been-a-murrrrrder, unusual-creatures-beings-species, urban-fantasy, whodunnit, kick-ass-chicks

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 wh...more

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Dec 01, 2011 Carol rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: folklore fans, fans of UF, those wanting a light read

Shelves: female-lead, urban-fantasy, mystery

Initially an improvement on Rosemary and Rue. I find the integration of unusual beings from folklore enjoyable--the Bannick cleaning scene was a fun interpretation of cleaning fae, and the hippocampi tank was clever. (Aside-I would dearly love a little Spike of my own). The opening scene with an inebriated October escorting her almost equally inebriated friends to the train was fun, and dialogue with Tybalt well-written--a little bit flirty, but without all those smoldering glances and peering t...more Initially an improvement on Rosemary and Rue. I find the integration of unusual beings from folklore enjoyable--the Bannick cleaning scene was a fun interpretation of cleaning fae, and the hippocampi tank was clever. (Aside-I would dearly love a little Spike of my own). The opening scene with an inebriated October escorting her almost equally inebriated friends to the train was fun, and dialogue with Tybalt well-written--a little bit flirty, but without all those smoldering glances and peering through eyelashes in less well-written UF. I liked the Luidaeg, even if the dialogue did start to remind me of Wesley and the Dread Pirate Roberts. The demonstration of October's skills and the nighthaunt background was very interesting, and well done, with that eerie touch of folklore menace (fae are not nice, after all). McGuire has a gift for character creation and dialogue.

Plotting and mystery building remain terribly weak; it wasn't surprising who the villain was, and one of the 'twists' was only a surprise to October. I don't mind figuring it out as much as I mind watching her flail her way through an investigation acting like a victim. Hercule Pirot I'm not, so if I can figure it out, there isn't any reason why the main character shouldn't. Really--my eyebrows go up any time someone in a modern setting claims they "won't get a cell phone"--clearly some plotting device will pivot on being unable to connect at a crucial moment. Yes, I get that October is a technophobe. But if she doesn't rely on modern gadgets for investigative assistance, than she should be a lot better at using her own questioning skills. Dead giveaways: (view spoiler) Puzzling, puzzling--and not in a good way.

October spends a lot of time running around a maze-like converted warehouse with people dying--after awhile, I started to wonder if I was reading a Scream script--since it lacked the horror of a truly scary movie. There's a brief acknowledgement of this when she orders everyone to stay in groups of two for "safety," but then promptly lets some of them run off or go do some crucial job by themselves. (view spoiler) The teen mock-horror flick connection comes particularly clear when the entrance gates fall on her car as they are returning, presumably preventing her from ever leaving the estate again.

Most disappointing is when the story started to break down about halfway through the book. I realized that McGuire most often is using a modern American female voice to embody October's inner narrative, and suddenly the premise of her as changeling falls apart. When heading back into the investigation, October suddenly digresses to medieval knight imagery and how there aren't heroes anymore. She carries on this line of thinking for about a chapter, at one point bemoaning a "shortage of problems that straightforward" like giants or witches. But hero mythology is from the non-fae perspective on faerie, so it's disappointing to hear such mundane human observations when October usually is intent on telling how it is in fae. (She really should have mocked heroes as gold-seeking musicians looking for a sugar mama).

Overall, McGuire seems to be an idea genius, but suffers from plotting and a slightly dumb heroine. I read slowly and thoroughly in the beginning, enjoying the set-up and the characters. Half-way through, I started to skim because, well, frankly, I could without losing sense of the story, and I have limited tolerance for the "lost with a killer after us" plot. Re-reading at slower speed actually highlighted narrative problems I had glossed over.

Ah well. I'll check out the next from the library to see if they improve.

Fun line: "The technology that was in its infancy when I had left had grown into a spoiled teenager by the time I returned, complicating everyone's lives and making a nuisance of itself down at the mall."(less)

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Aug 07, 2010 Logan rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, thriller

Ugh. I wanted to like this, and I wanted to support this author b/c I like to support local talent, but this books was torturous. After the first book, which I enjoyed more, my wife and I were discussing how much we didn't like October Daye, the main character. She's got a bad attitude and a huge chip on her shoulder, for no apparent reason. Or for the reason that that seems to be the rule for paranormal directives, and no other. She was turned into a fish for 14 years prior to the events of the...more

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Apr 10, 2012 Sarah rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: paranormal-urban-fantasy

This was a decent read. I'm still enjoying the characters, world, and fae mythology, but the murder mystery plot in this book is rather weak, in addition to the laughable tech company setting. However, it's exactly the kind of fluff reading I want right now in my third trimester haze, so I'll be reading on in the series.

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Apr 10, 2012 Beth Cato rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: in, 2012, urban, fantasy, october-daye, series

It's been a few months since I read the first book, but I didn't have too much trouble remembering who was who and the basics of the world. That said, I found this to be very slow to start. It takes 100 pages for someone to die, and at that point the pace and tension finally kicked in. I had already been told that this was a weaker book and the third book was better, so I was prepared to grit my teeth and work through it. The setting in this one feels too insulated. Even though there is magic an...more

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Jun 16, 2013 Mary Catelli rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy-contemporary

Sequel to Rosemary and Rue.

Toby gets a call from her lord Sylvester, who needs her PI skills. His niece January hasn't been answering his calls. All the more complicated in that his niece is a Countess, and her county lies between his duchy and a rival one. . . and the terrioritiality of the fae means he won't be able to get her help easily, without its being taken as an act of war.

She gets there, tracks down January, finds a small array of fae, of different races, and discovers that January thi...more

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May 12, 2013 Hannah Reynolds rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: detective, fantasy

October Daye is back in a new mystery, and the corpses of not-so-immortal fae are piling up faster than she can catch the killer.

The tone is a fun mix of noir and classic fantasy magic, and combined with the creative examination of several facets of the magical rules of this world, make this a highly enjoyable read.

Unfortunately, we have an Idiot Plot (a plot that only works because everyone in it is an idiot) on our hands. This mystery could have been solved in a few pages had key characters no...more

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Apr 25, 2013 Victoria rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: so-so-reads, urban-fantasy

I'm not really a fan of detective novels (or murders). I read this because I liked the previous one ok, and sometimes it's nice to have a change of genre - although with the choice of this book my preference for fantasy is quite obviously still in evidence.

I get frustrated by murders. Mainly because I'm not that interested in finding out who-done-it. Either you work it out for yourself long before the final exposition, or it's totally impossible to work out and the ending just makes you groan a...more

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Mar 29, 2013 Miki rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This Review was first published on my blog Lecture toute une Aventure
note: one regret is that in my copy there is a big ink spot thank make a page illisible

I did love this book….i admit I was a bit afraid at first since I was told it was becoming darker and darker but I enjoyed it and I didn’t feel it was that dark either. It’s not light yes but I’m starting to think that as long as fey are concerned it’s never light and all happy… however there is some humour too not too much but just the righ...more This Review was first published on my blog Lecture toute une Aventure
note: one regret is that in my copy there is a big ink spot thank make a page illisible

I did love this book….i admit I was a bit afraid at first since I was told it was becoming darker and darker but I enjoyed it and I didn’t feel it was that dark either. It’s not light yes but I’m starting to think that as long as fey are concerned it’s never light and all happy… however there is some humour too not too much but just the right level for that kind of universe. I absolutely adore Tybalt and I was glad to learn a little more about how his kind of creatures was organised. They really have a special place between the fey and I find this really interesting…. I also enjoy to see how Toby isn’t getting any clue about Tybalt ‘s feeling ^^;;.

In this book we also see more of Quentin and it’s was interesting to see Toby as a teacher because it’s not a role I would have thought for her but she is managing quite well…. I mean, there is a lot of fear, blood and risks but she keeps her charge with her so it’s a good point. Her luck isn’t the best…and I’m sure the insurance will be crazy at the rhythm she destroy her cars^^;; . Oh and yes Connor will be there too (we need some tension after all;) )

Now that being said, the plot in a whole wasn’t bad but I did guess a part of the solution (culprit and reason) but the author managed to keep me interested all along the book. Also learning about the creatures that come for the fey’s body when they die and why was really, really interesting.

Toby is a character quite complex and in each book, I’m discovering more about her in each book. She is loyal and determined, she could have become hateful but she didn’t and I appreciate that. She is trying to do her best which is quite difficult with the intricacies and rules in place in the world of fey. This time, we didn’t see her thinking about her “human family” which could be strange but I appreciated that she was immersed in her fae part. The way she is reacting with Connor is something I like, she doesn’t want to interfere in the relationship he has (though she does a little but not from her decision most of the time. I just hope she will understand Tybalt soon because I want them together)

I really recommend this book to those who want a dark urban fantasy, fey and tension with a touch of romance and humour.(less)

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Dec 14, 2012 Lauren rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I had fun reading this book, and still enjoy some of the characters are the world building in this series. However, there are several major flaws that I notice a lot of other reviews have already pointed out. As in the first book the mystery here moves very slowly. Toby never seems to get very far in her investigations, and she actually misses some major (and very obvious clues). It got frustrating to wade through the middle of the book as Toby floundered for insight that the reader had gained w...more

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Nov 22, 2012 Sophie rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, fiction, read-in-2012, mystery

Oh, I'll just pick this book up to have something to read while I eat dinner! SIX HOURS LATER: Welp, I guess I finished the book.

Yes, this book telegraphed its twists from miles away. I figured out what was up with Alex and Terrie the moment Terrie showed up, and I was pretty sure I knew how the murders had happened, even though I didn't know why. But this book still kept me up way past my bedtime reading it. It's like a bottle episode/locked-room mystery/horror movie, where the characters are a...more

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Jul 08, 2012 Courtney rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: kindle, mine

yes, Toby is a shit detective, I think anyone who reads this series (at least through this book) can agree on that. I just don't really care. I mean, I do -- I really need her to wake the fuck up, especially where Tybalt is concerned -- but for the purposes of these novels, her being so oblivious just made me like the books more. don't get me wrong, I wanted to slap some sense into her nearly every other chapter, but it was entertaining to watch her stumble around, knowing she was trying so damn...more

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Jun 30, 2012 Sheyla rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Book 2 October Daye Series.

We begin this book with Toby getting drunk and guess who takes her home and puts her to bed...Yes, the King of Cats- Tybalt. Then, of course he disappears for chapters to come.

Sylverster, Toby's liege has asked her for help once again. He wants Toby to go and check on her niece Countess January O'Leary who resides int the County of Tamed Lightning.

Questin goes with her. When they get there, they discovered that several people have died inside the company January work...more

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May 14, 2012 Kathy rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Somewhat Disappointed

I don't find it necessary to have read the previous book in the series, Rosemary & Rue, in order to follow along with this second installment. However, it would be beneficial, especially to avoid spoilers and have some knowledge of the history with some of the issues in the story.

I enjoyed this installment but not as much as the first book. Toby's character had some disappointing flaws. One major flaw that really irked me was her frequent weepings. Toby is supposedly a g...more Somewhat Disappointed

I don't find it necessary to have read the previous book in the series, Rosemary & Rue, in order to follow along with this second installment. However, it would be beneficial, especially to avoid spoilers and have some knowledge of the history with some of the issues in the story.

I enjoyed this installment but not as much as the first book. Toby's character had some disappointing flaws. One major flaw that really irked me was her frequent weepings. Toby is supposedly a good PI but at times Toby seemed completely incompetent; like if she were in a tiny box she wouldn't be capable of following the trail of a skunk much less finding a killer. I found myself wondering why her Liege, Sylvester, would trust her to do anything at all.

I second another reviewer who mentioned how annoyed they were at how Toby continued to miss the obvious. It annoyed me at how obvious it was that the bro/sis duo Alex and Terrie, were clearly having an odd effect on others. Tybalt is another obvious issue Toby continues to keep her head in the sand over. Hopefully Tybalt's character will take more of a front seat. He's rough around the edges and would provide even greater excitement to the series.

I was very conflicted with rating this book. On one hand, the story entertained me and I was never bored. However, I had a steady disappointment in Toby throughout the story. For some reason I was under the impression that she was a stronger person. I understand she don't have as much power as a full blooded fae, but she seems as weak as a babe.

Regardless of my irritation with Toby's character, I still do recommend this book to fellow dark urban fantasy readers. I will still read the next book in the series An Artificial Light due out 9/2/1010. I read books mostly for entertainment, if Toby's character doesn't get it together in An Artificial Light, I may consider not continuing with the series. In addition, I also look forward to the first book in the Newsflesh Trilogy, Feed due out 4/27/2010, under the authors pseudonym name Mira Grant.

I also recommend:
On the Edge (The Edge, Book 1)
Thorn Queen (Dark Swan, Book 2)
Twice Dead
Dreamfever
The Better Part of Darkness (less)

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Mar 17, 2012 Eleniel rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: u-f-a-r

Seriously, this is the worst detective novel I've ever read. October utterly fails as a detective - it's no wonder faes have been dwindling ever since, when they knight someone like her.

The world building is more than nice. Obviously, the author is pretty well acquainted with fae world and has no qualm depicting gruesome details of its inhabitants. That's one nice change, an author with solid research and less obsession of making every characters humanly beautiful.

Beside that, the book gets pret...more

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Jan 07, 2012 Fangs for the Fantasy rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Sylvester, Duke of the Shadowed Halls has called October with a problem. His niece, the Countess of Tamed Lightning, isn’t answering his calls. He would check up on her, or send one of his top officials – but the neighbouring duchy of Dreamers Glass would take that as a move against them – and war would surely follow. Hamstrung by politics, he has to turn to October, a trained PI and his knight errant

Setting off with Quentin, a young Page from the court looking for some experience, things rapidl...more Sylvester, Duke of the Shadowed Halls has called October with a problem. His niece, the Countess of Tamed Lightning, isn’t answering his calls. He would check up on her, or send one of his top officials – but the neighbouring duchy of Dreamers Glass would take that as a move against them – and war would surely follow. Hamstrung by politics, he has to turn to October, a trained PI and his knight errant

Setting off with Quentin, a young Page from the court looking for some experience, things rapidly get out of hand. Not only are communications from Dreamers Glass being interrupted – but half of the inhabitants have fled after a string of murders.

A string of murders that continues while October Daye is there. With her PI experience and her Daoine Sidhe ability to read blood memories she’s perfectly placed to help solve the murders – as well as her duty to Sylvester. But the memories are absent and even the darkest forces in faerie won’t touch the bodies – more people keep dying. And, other than Quentin, anyone can be the killer, no-one can be trusted. And can they trust her? Especially with the dangerous politics of the County?

And, if murders weren’t enough, the people of Tamed Lightning have their own secrets, some of which could be just as dangerous as the murderer themselves.

The world here is amazingly rich with a huge variety of fae and faerie legends presented. It’s a very varied world, a very large world with, consequently, a lot of scope for different characters and abilities. I think these books are worth reading for their rich world alone and the potential of them.
October Daye is a nuanced character. She’s a Changeling in a fae society that ever treats her as less. She has her mother’s extreme reputation to live up to while at the same time she is limited to the power level of a Changeling. And this is after her last major quest for Sylvester resulted in her not only failing to rescue Luna and Rosalyn, but also being trapped as a fish for 14 years – the aftermath of which she is only just recovering from. She’s very ambivalent about being involved in faerie, but at the same time cares deeply for the people she regards as her family.

The plot itself has a lot of action – October is facing off against an unknown assailant, there’s a sense of danger around every corner, of constantly being stalked and just not knowing who or what is out there or why. The tension is very well maintained and there’s always a sense whenever a character leaves the frame that they may not be coming back. Other than October, there was a very good sense of “anyone can die” with lots of nail biting tension, head scratching mystery and occasional frenzied bolts of energy as the newest threat raises its head.

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Dec 30, 2011 Kc rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: faeries, magic, fantasy

Compared to the first book in the series, I found this one to be more enjoyable. Though I managed to figure the villain out within the first few chapters of meeting them (I use the term "them" vaguely to keep the identity a secret for those who haven't read yet), the method of killing they used and the reasons for it were more of a mystery. The need to know why these killings were happening and how the pieces all came together kept me attached to the book until the end.

I must say, if there's a...more

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Oct 21, 2011 Kathy Davie rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, urban

Second in the October Daye urban fantasy series set in San Francisco and revolving around Toby Daye, a private detective who happens to be half-human, half-faye.

The Story
Sylvester is worried when he isn't able to get hold of his niece, the Countess January O'Leary, so he sends Toby. Toby's allegiances are vague enough that it shouldn't stir up his enemy, the Duchess Riordan. But when Toby gets there, no one is cooperating. It takes forever to actually meet January and everyone is hostile. Well,...more

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Aug 01, 2011 Madame X rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fairies-or-fae, paranormal-urban-fantasy

I was really looking forward to A Local Habitation. Rosemary and Rue impressed me - it was smart, with a really vivid setting and amazing worldbuilding, and an appealing underdog heroine. I had some problems with the plotting, but it had so many of the qualities necessary to a good series that I was excited about continuing on with the story.

Having read A Local Habitation, I'm not exactly disappointed. I read it in one sitting, but this time I didn't close the book eager to find out what happen...more I was really looking forward to A Local Habitation. Rosemary and Rue impressed me - it was smart, with a really vivid setting and amazing worldbuilding, and an appealing underdog heroine. I had some problems with the plotting, but it had so many of the qualities necessary to a good series that I was excited about continuing on with the story.

Having read A Local Habitation, I'm not exactly disappointed. I read it in one sitting, but this time I didn't close the book eager to find out what happens next. I still admired the really excellent setting and atmosphere. But the new book provided new, different plotting problems. I thought that the author telegraphed the villain too soon, and too obviously. That's overstating things a bit, but without giving spoilers, all I can say is I had a rough idea of how things were going to play out by page...I don't know, 50 or 60? Way, way too early.

And then I started getting irritated that Toby wasn't seeing the obvious. It's frustrating to read a book where you can put together all the clues, and you know that your protagonist has access to all the same information that you do, but doesn't make the same connections. It's even more frustrating when people are dying all over the place. Toby starts off the book feeling all this guilt because she couldn't keep Dare alive, and then she walks into her next assignment and repeats the same mistakes she made before.

There's one really key moment in A Local Habitation where Toby decides she needs to perform a very dangerous ritual. It's a really cool scene in the book. It's tense, fascinating, gives us insight into the world of fairy and Toby's character, shows us how brave she is and how totally willing she is to put everything on the line for the safety of others. The problem? It's ultimately a distraction. If Toby had opted not to perform this dangerous and fascinating ritual, she'd probably have solved her case a lot faster, and prevented someone from dying.

And I think that McGuire has a similar issue with the Tybalt plotline. Tybalt is an obvious love interest. McGuire writes their interactions as though they still have some sort of love/hate relationship, but they don't act that way at all. When Tybalt leaves his jacket at Toby's house at the beginning of the novel, she picks it up and wears it for pretty much the rest of the book, and takes comfort from the smell. When Toby is in trouble, Tybalt drops everything to come to the rescue. Tybalt is blatantly jealous - which Toby somehow doesn't pick up on at all - and Toby finds him attractive. So why does she consider pretty much every single other adult male in the whole novel as a potential love interest, but not Tybalt?

I love a good, slow, prickly advance-and-retreat between a heroine and her love interest. I'll follow along for book after book, watching the couple slowly, slowly, slowly get closer. But that's not what's going on here. Toby and Tybalt have advanced, neither is retreating, and the author is artificially keeping them apart to draw out their plotline. Apparently she thinks that readers can't tell the difference, but I can and I find it maddening.

So basically, the second book in the series had all the same strengths and weaknesses as the first one did. When McGuire does something well, she does it really well. But I'm starting to think that it's just not enough, at least for me. I love Toby, she has a great voice, I love McGuire's fairy-riddled San Francisco, I love the characters, so many of the twists and turns are really COOL, but I always feel like I'm being pulled along the author's guided track. The staging is perfect, but she loses me on the execution.

I really want to be more enthusiastic. I'd love to leave a glowing review. But I can't.
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Jul 29, 2011 Flail Around rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: uf, d-owns

In "A Local Habitation", Toby goes on a 'diplomatic' mission for her leige, Sylvester. He would like for her to check in with his niece, January, who is Countess for a neighboring 'Country'. There hasn't been communication between them for three weeks and he's getting worried. (I have a feeling all the months are going to end up as names in this series at some point. I'm guessing ... September will be next... I look forward to seeing how she manages to shorten that one.. :-S.. Do you think May i...more

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Apr 21, 2011 Paradoxical rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2011-reading-list, books-otherwise

The jump into the plot in the second October Daye novel is smoother than the first, mainly because most of the world building was laid out in the first book (so the nitty gritty already done), and things are fairly smooth sailing from here (or supposed to be, anyway).

Toby is sent by her liege-lord to go to the County of Tamed Lightning in order to check up on his niece, January, who is leader of said County. She hasn't been calling him, and so Toby and a page, Quentin, are sent on what seems to...more The jump into the plot in the second October Daye novel is smoother than the first, mainly because most of the world building was laid out in the first book (so the nitty gritty already done), and things are fairly smooth sailing from here (or supposed to be, anyway).

Toby is sent by her liege-lord to go to the County of Tamed Lightning in order to check up on his niece, January, who is leader of said County. She hasn't been calling him, and so Toby and a page, Quentin, are sent on what seems to be an easy mission in order to see if there is a problem. The County of Tamed Lightning is sandwiched between two larger countries, and its in a politically precarious situation. This is made more so by the fact that January's uncle could be seen as making threatening motions to expand his territory simply by visiting her, which is why Toby and Quentin were sent out in his stead.

In any case, Toby goes to January. The County of Tamed Lightning is very much technology based and more informal than most other kingdoms. January is in plenty of trouble of her own--someone is killing off people around her, and nobody knows why. Toby resolves to find this out herself.

The beginning of the novel started out promising, only to waver into slightly confusing territory with Toby arriving to the County of Tamed Lightning. The way things are described, the new words and phrases bandied about, I never got a really clear picture of the place that January and the others worked and lived. I also didn't much care about it either.

The mystery of Alex and Terrie was blatant from the get go. You might not have known exactly what was going on, but it was very, very obvious at the same time. There is leaving clues for your readers and then bludgeoning them on the head with a mallet with said clues. The author should have a more subtle hand at writing such things.

Sometimes I found myself wanting to slap Toby for being so obtuse. Dear Toby, please remember that January has said that she has tried calling her uncle, only to never be able to catch him. This should be easy for you, seeing as you were thinking about it and how strange it was that neither uncle nor niece could reach one another, so when the phones don't connect for you, please remember this fact and not waste the reader's time.

At the same time, I felt rather annoyed with the entire mystery. The only reason why it got as bad as it did was because people wouldn't tell Toby anything, and the clues that were littered around Toby, she didn't understand until later on. It was immensely frustrating to see her just reacting to everything--nothing about this book was proactive. Something happens, Toby reacts. Something more happens, she reacts again. You really want her to do more, but she doesn't and it's hugely annoying to read.

I'm a bit on fence about the magic. It's never really laid out clearly as to why Toby's nursery rhymes work when they all seem to be nonsense anyway, and while it's cute, it's somewhat distracting at the same time. Other than the degrees of power, with the constant reiterations that changelings don't have much of it, there is no real formal explanation for the magic or the magic system. This could be good, but sometimes, like with Toby's nursery rhymes, I want to find out more about it than just be left hanging.

Really, this book was fine in the beginning, then it went down hill and sunk down there throughout the middle of the book, and it finally redeems itself a little by the end, but it doesn't make up for the let down earlier. The only people I really liked were Quentin and Tybalt, and all of the other characters I could just pick up and chuck off some cliff somewhere. When the characters weren't actively annoying me, they were being ridiculously closed mouth and I still want to slap them. Sigh.

Overall? 2 stars. It's not a total wash, but it's even worse than the first book. (less)

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Apr 03, 2011 ***Dave Hill rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Lovers of urban fantasy, detective mysteries

Shelves: text

More faerie noir detective business for October Daye, changling (fae half-blood) in modern San Francisco. This tale lacks most of the woe-is-me angst of the first book (Rosemary and Rue), but that's not necessarily a bad thing (woe-is-me angst being a far too popular staple of the urban fantasy world).

The tale feels curiously isolated. Whereas the first novel spanned the breadth of the Bay Area, this one is mostly isolated (as part of a and-then-there-were-none murder tale) at a hi-tech startup...more

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Mar 04, 2011 Shawna rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: urban-fantasy

When I heard that the University of Washington bookstore stocked these before their drop date, I immediately called them and reserved one, despite the fact that I also have it preordered online (I've found a home for the extra book). I picked it up around 6:00pm on Tuesday, and by 7:00pm on Wednesday I finished it by virtue of working as a receptionist at a relatively unbusy office.

This book amazed me even more than the first one did.

In the first book, Rosemary and Rue, we are introduced to Octo...more

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A Local Habitation (October Daye #2)

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