• A Local Habitation

  • An October Daye Novel (October Daye, Book 2)
  • By: Seanan McGuire
  • Narrated by: Mary Robinette Kowal
  • Length: 11 hrs and 48 mins
  • 4.4 out of 5 stars (1,789 ratings)

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A Local Habitation  By  cover art

A Local Habitation

By: Seanan McGuire
Narrated by: Mary Robinette Kowal
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Publisher's summary

October “Toby” Daye is a changeling, the daughter of Amandine of the fae and a mortal man. Like her mother, she is gifted in blood magic, able to read what has happened to a person through a mere taste of blood.

Half-human, half-fae, outsiders from birth, most changelings are second-class children of Faerie, spending their lives fighting for the respect of their immortal relations. Toby is the only changeling who has earned knighthood, and she re-earns that position every day, undertaking assignments for her liege, Sylvester, the Duke of the Shadowed Hills.

Now Sylvester has asked her to go to the County of Tamed Lightning — otherwise known as Fremont, California — to make sure that all is well with his niece, Countess January O’Leary, whom he has not been able to contact. It seems like a simple enough assignment — but when dealing with the realm of Faerie, nothing is ever as simple as it seems.

January runs a company that produces computer fantasy games, and her domain is a buffer between Sylvester’s realm and a rival duchy whose ruler is looking for an opportunity to seize control. And that is the least of January’s problems. For Tamed Lightning has somehow been cut off from the other domains, and now someone has begun to murder January’s key people. If Toby can’t find and stop the killer soon, she may well become the next victim.

©2010 Seanan McGuire (P)2010 Brilliance Audio, Inc.

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What listeners say about A Local Habitation

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

What a fantastic book!

This is a great read! Fantastic addition to the genre--October Daye is a different kind of protagonist and her world is quite unique! I'm looking forward to reading more from this series. The only thing I am disappointed with is finding out this is the SECOND book in the series and audible only has this one so far.

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8 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Great Story, Ehh Narration

This is my second October Daye book, and frankly, upon finishing the first, I was hoping that the second and following books would have a different narrator. Unfortunately, where other books have okay text and a under-expressive narration, this one has great text, and a hugely overacting narrator. It'd be great if she pulled it back by about... oh.. 25-50%. I love the stories, but it's hard to concentrate on the text itself when -every- -single- word is so overly emphasized. Thankfully, it doesn't ruin the whole experience of the book per sé, but it is off enough that (to me at least), it takes away from the actual writing a good bit.

Overall, love the characters, love the quality of the writing, love the atmosphere, everything. And if she could just pull it back a bit, I'd love the narrator too. But as it is, I'd love somebody different. The ever-brilliant John Glover, perhaps..? :D

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7 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Silicon Valley Faeries

Seanan really hits her stride here, and the series gets moving.

OK, Look. Seanan ENJOYS torturing her characters. Toby gets run ragged from the first minute to the last. When it looks like something good is about to happen to her - It's not.

And I LOVE it.

It's a good mystery, with enjoyable characters and my favorite narrator on Audible (sorry Evil Wil Wheaton). I really enjoy this series.

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4 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Very Interesting

I found this book interesting and though I like book 1 a little better I will continue with the series. Once I find an author that I like I tend to stay true and read all their books. Very few exceptions. This book was full of mystery, action, and secrets. So I would recommend.

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3 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

For all audio book lovers!

If you like urban fantasy noir, you can do no better than Seanan McGuire's "October Daye" series. If you like good audio reading, Mary Robinette Kowal is your lady. Her voice characterizations are spot on. You never have to wonder who is actually speaking now.

Start with "Rosemary and Rue" and continue on from there.

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3 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

What A Story!!

A Local Habitation is the second installment of this series (which should definitely be read in order). Another amazing story with narration that is well-done and consistent with the first book. I can't recommend this series enough! I am already anticipating the the third book that is releasing in September.

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3 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars

decent

I found the character development a little light and the fey terms a bit much in the beginning, but it grew on me and I really got into it after the beginning.

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3 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

excellent urban fantasy

This is the second book of the October Daye series. Where the first book was good, this book is excellent. Seanan McGuire builds upon the world she created in Rosemary and Rue, and delves deeper into subplots and the mystique of that world.

Similar to the first book, this book is both urban fantasy as well as a story of mystery and suspense. Toby is an investigator after all. In this book she is investigating mysterious deaths in the Fae knowe of Tamed Lightning.

There is a bit of brilliance in how McGuire combines magic and tech in this book. The two don't seem to blend. However, in this book it feels natural. Meanwhile, Toby and her Scooby gang continue to develop and mature.

As for the narration, Mary Robinette Kowal not only captures the practical tones that suit Toby's character, but she breathes life into the entire cast of characters making them distinct and memorable.

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2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Unique urban fantasy series with softer feel

What other book might you compare A Local Habitation to and why?

This is a very unique urban fantasy series in that it had a much softer feel than most UF. Toby is more mature, and the focus is more on growth and plot than on mindless action or sex.

What does Mary Robinette Kowal bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

The narration has a soft mature tone that matches the story. The accents and voices used for all the characters were great. Quentin sounded like a teenager, and the accents on Sylvester and Tybalt were simply amazing.

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Enjoyed this second book

Gifted this series to my sister and she is enjoying the series as much as I am.

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1 person found this helpful