Where the Drowned Girls Go - Book Review

 

Where the Drowned Girls Go (Wayward Children #7)

by Seanan McGuire

What is it about:

Welcome to the Whitethorn Institute. The first step is always admitting you need help, and you've already taken that step by requesting a transfer into our company.

There is another school for children who fall through doors and fall back out again.

It isn't as friendly as Eleanor West's Home for Wayward Children.

And it isn't as safe.

When Eleanor West decided to open her school, her sanctuary, her Home for Wayward Children, she knew from the beginning that there would be children she couldn't save; when Cora decides she needs a different direction, a different fate, a different prophecy, Miss West reluctantly agrees to transfer her to the other school, where things are run very differently by Whitethorn, the Headmaster.

She will soon discover that not all doors are welcoming...

What did I think of it:

I love this series, and this book is an awesome addition.

I liked Cora in the previous books, so was happy to see her get her own book. After events in Come Tumbling Down she's having nightmares and other problems, so she asks to be transferred to Whitethorn, a school with a very different approach as Eleanor West's school.

I loved seeing the other school and how it works. It is soon clear there's something not right there. I was rooting for Cora to come to her senses, but it looked like even that would not be enough to solve her problems.

And then Sumi entered the story!

I've loved Sumi since the first book, so I was so happy she had a big role in this book. I also loved how the lead character of the previous book in the series made her appearance in this book as well. And I really liked how another world isn't needed to make this story otherworldly and disturbing.

I was hooked from the start and had to keep reading to see if Cora and Sumi would be able to save the day, and if Cora would be able to defeat her demons.

All in all a wonderful read that will join the other books in this series on my keeper shelves.

Why should you read it:

It's a cool and wonderful read

buy from Amazon

Calculated Risks - (Grumpy) Book Review

 

Calculated Risks (InCryptid #10)

by Seanan McGuire

What is it about:

The tenth book in the fast-paced InCryptid urban fantasy series returns to the mishaps of the Price family, eccentric cryptozoologists who safeguard the world of magical creatures living in secret among humans.

Just when Sarah Zellaby, adopted Price cousin and telepathic ambush predator, thought that things couldn’t get worse, she’s had to go and prove herself wrong. After being kidnapped and manipulated by her birth family, she has undergone a transformation called an instar, reaching back to her Apocritic origins to metamorphize. While externally the same, she is internally much more powerful, and much more difficult to control.

Even by herself. After years of denial, the fact that she will always be a cuckoo has become impossible to deny.

Now stranded in another dimension with a handful of allies who seem to have no idea who she is–including her cousin Annie and her maybe-boyfriend Artie, both of whom have forgotten their relationship–and a bunch of cuckoos with good reason to want her dead, Sarah must figure out not only how to contend with her situation, but with the new realities of her future. What is she now? Who is she now? Is that person someone she can live with?

And when all is said and done, will she be able to get the people she loves, whether or not they’ve forgotten her, safely home?

What did I think of it:

This review will be grumpy and spoilery!

I really love this series. I even managed to read through three! books about Antimony, who I don't particularly like because of the excellent worldbuilding and the fun side characters.

I loved the first book about Sarah, and was so invested in her relationship with Artie, something that's been set up from the start of this series. So imagine my disappointment that in this book Artie (and the others who were with Sarah at the end of the last book) has forgotten all about Sarah.

"Ok", I thought. "I can deal with that. He will still try to work together with her, right?"

Yeah...

Of course it's Antimony who decides to trust Sarah and work with her. So once again I was left with Antimony stealing the spotlight while Sarah tries to keep up. Artie was pushed somewhere to the background for most of the book.

I skimmed some parts, I'll confess. 

I just am so tired of Antimony by now. Can we just give others a chance to shine? She had three books of her own, can she not hog half of Sarah's story? I really wanted more Artie here.

So even though I still liked the overall story and the worldbuilding, I didn't enjoy this book as much as the others. I really hope the next book will finally have less Antimony and will focus on others.

Why should you read it:

It's a fun Urban Fantasy even if it's heavy on Antimony.

buy from Amazon

Across the Green Grass Fields - Early Book Review

 

Across the Green Grass Fields (Wayward Children #6)

by Seanan McGuire

What is it about:

A young girl discovers a portal to a land filled with centaurs and unicorns in Seanan McGuire's Across the Green Grass Fields, a standalone tale in the Hugo and Nebula Award-wining Wayward Children series.

“Welcome to the Hooflands. We’re happy to have you, even if you being here means something’s coming.”

Regan loves, and is loved, though her school-friend situation has become complicated, of late.

When she suddenly finds herself thrust through a doorway that asks her to "Be Sure" before swallowing her whole, Regan must learn to live in a world filled with centaurs, kelpies, and other magical equines―a world that expects its human visitors to step up and be heroes.

But after embracing her time with the herd, Regan discovers that not all forms of heroism are equal, and not all quests are as they seem…

What did I think of it:

I absolutely loved most books in this series, so I was happy to get an Advance Reader Copy thanks to Melliane from Between Dreams and Reality 

And this is a great addition to the series. 

It's a standalone story that can easily be read by those new to the series. For those familiar with the series it explores a Doorway and a World we haven't seen before.

I will confess I didn't like Regan at the start of this story. She has two friends of which one was a girl I could relate to, while I loathed the other. Regan is caught between the two, and guess who 's side she picks.

Then things happen that make Regan's world fall apart and a Doorway appears. She steps through and gets transported to the Wildlands.

It was here that I came to love Regan and the people she meets. The story seems pretty straightforward but as events unfold things get more complicated. I read the book in one sitting because I was curious where things would lead.

All in all this is a wonderful story about choice vs. destiny, and about taking charge of your own life. You bet this book will join the others on my keeper shelves.

Why should you read it:

It's a very enjoyable and wonderful read

Expected publication: January 12th 2021

buy from bookdepository

Imaginary Numbers - Book Review

Imaginary Numbers (InCryptid #9)
by Seanan McGuire

What is it about:
The ninth book in the fast-paced InCryptid urban fantasy series returns to the mishaps of the Price family, eccentric cryptozoologists who safeguard the world of magical creatures living in secret among humans.

Sarah Zellaby has always been in an interesting position. Adopted into the Price family at a young age, she’s never been able to escape the biological reality of her origins: she’s a cuckoo, a telepathic ambush predator closer akin to a parasitic wasp than a human being. Friend, cousin, mathematician; it’s never been enough to dispel the fear that one day, nature will win out over nurture, and everything will change.

Maybe that time has finally come.

After spending the last several years recuperating in Ohio with her adoptive parents, Sarah is ready to return to the world–and most importantly, to her cousin Artie, with whom she has been head-over-heels in love since childhood. But there are cuckoos everywhere, and when the question of her own survival is weighed against the survival of her family, Sarah’s choices all add up to one inescapable conclusion.

This is war. Cuckoo vs. Price, human vs. cryptid…and not all of them are going to walk away.

What did I think of it:
Finally a new lead character again!

I absolutely adore Sarah, and I loved being inside her head. I didn't know Artie very well yet, but he is really cool as well. I didn't like the fact that Antimony once again had a big role though. She had three books already, can't she just go take a break?

That aside this is such a great read. The story is suspenseful and thrilling. What will happen? Will Sarah manage to keep herself and her adopted family safe? The cuckoos were already scary, but here they take on an extra layer of creepy. And then there's the romance between Sarah and Artie, and it is just so sweet.

The mice are back as well, and I loved seeing them again. They are so fun and cool. I wouldn't be surprised if they will have a big role to play in the conclusion of Sarah's story.

All in all this is a wonderful read that I read in almost one sitting. You bet I'll impatiently be waiting for the next book, because I really need to know what will happen next.

Why should you read it:
It's a wonderful and suspenseful Urban Fantasy read.


buy from bookdepository

Beneath the Sugar Sky - Book Review (repost)

Another reread


Beneath the Sugar Sky (Wayward Children #3)
by Seanan McGuire

What is it about:
When Rini lands with a literal splash in the pond behind Eleanor West's Home for Wayward Children, the last thing she expects to find is that her mother, Sumi, died years before Rini was even conceived. But Rini can’t let Reality get in the way of her quest – not when she has an entire world to save! (Much more common than one would suppose.)

If she can't find a way to restore her mother, Rini will have more than a world to save: she will never have been born in the first place. And in a world without magic, she doesn’t have long before Reality notices her existence and washes her away. Good thing the student body is well-acquainted with quests...

A tale of friendship, baking, and derring-do.

Warning: May contain nuts.

What did I think of it:
And finally I got to the book that is a Hugo nominee this year! I will confess that I did feel a bit guilty that I read the two books before this one, because I did put aside two of the Hugo nominees in the novella category for not being the first in a series. But then again: at least I'm trying to get some of the nominations read instead of just voting for what sounds familiar.

Anyway: This story is mainly told from the perspective of Cora. A new student at Eleanor's school. There are characters who played an important role in the first book who are once again playing bigger roles in this book as well. So I'm glad I read the first book, because it made this story come alive even more.

The children/teens decide to help out Rini, who is from the future of the Fantastical world her mother traveled back to as a child after staying at the school. Except... her mother died before going back. So it's up to Cora and her friends to find a way to undo the past.

I loved getting to know yet another fantastical world, and to learn more about the students I already met in the first book, as well as getting to know the new characters. This book wasn't as emotional for me as the first, but I very much enjoyed the adventures and the camaraderie between the teens.

All in all a great addition to this series, and I immediately went on to read book 4.

Why should you read it:
It's a really fun Fantasy read


buy from Amazon

That Ain’t Witchcraft - Book Review

That Ain’t Witchcraft (InCryptid #8)
by Seanan McGuire

What is it about:
Crossroads, noun:

1. A place where two roads cross.
2. A place where bargains can be made.
3. See also “places to avoid.”

Antimony Price has never done well without a support system. As the youngest of her generation, she has always been able to depend on her parents, siblings, and cousins to help her out when she’s in a pinch—until now. After fleeing from the Covenant of St. George, she’s found herself in debt to the crossroads and running for her life. No family. No mice. No way out.

Lucky for her, she’s always been resourceful, and she’s been gathering allies as she travels: Sam, fūri trapeze artist turned boyfriend; Cylia, jink roller derby captain and designated driver; Fern, sylph friend, confidant, and maker of breakfasts; even Mary, ghost babysitter to the Price family. Annie’s actually starting to feel like they might be able to figure things out—which is probably why things start going wrong again.

New Gravesend, Maine is a nice place to raise a family…or make a binding contract with the crossroads. For James Smith, whose best friend disappeared when she tried to do precisely that, it’s also an excellent place to plot revenge. Now the crossroads want him dead and they want Annie to do the dirty deed. She owes them, after all.

And that’s before Leonard Cunningham, aka, “the next leader of the Covenant,” shows up…

It’s going to take everything Annie has and a little bit more to get out of this one. If she succeeds, she gets to go home. If she fails, she becomes one more cautionary tale about the dangers of bargaining with the crossroads.

But no pressure.

What did I think of it:
This is a really cool story with lots of intriguing information bout the crossroads, but I will confess that three books about Antimony and Sam was getting a bit much for me.

As much as I enjoy the world and the overall story, I just was getting tired of Antimony's whining about her family and Verity in particular. And as nice as Sam is: he's a monkey. I really don't have anything with monkeys.

So it says something about McGuire's storytelling that I was as engrossed in this book as I was. I absolutely wanted to find out what was up with the crossroads, and I loved seeing Leonard again. If only he had been the love interest!

All in all a cool read, but I'm glad the next book will have a different lead character.

Why should you read it:
It's a cool UF read.


buy from bookdepository

Every Heart a Doorway - Book Review (repost)

I reread this book, so thought I'd repost my review.


Every Heart a Doorway (Wayward Children #1)
by Seanan McGuire

What is it about:
Eleanor West’s Home for Wayward Children
No Solicitations
No Visitors
No Quests

Children have always disappeared under the right conditions; slipping through the shadows under a bed or at the back of a wardrobe, tumbling down rabbit holes and into old wells, and emerging somewhere... else.

But magical lands have little need for used-up miracle children.

Nancy tumbled once, but now she’s back. The things she’s experienced... they change a person. The children under Miss West’s care understand all too well. And each of them is seeking a way back to their own fantasy world.

But Nancy’s arrival marks a change at the Home. There’s a darkness just around each corner, and when tragedy strikes, it’s up to Nancy and her new-found schoolmates to get to the heart of the matter.

No matter the cost.

What did I think of it:
After reading Down Among the Sticks and Bones I decided I needed to read the first book as well, before moving on to book 3 for... clarity. Yeah, that's it: clarity. Not because I was eager for lots more of this series. *cough*

And this book just blew me away!

Eleanor West’s Home for Wayward Children is a boarding school for children and teens who found a doorway to a another world, but then got back home where they don't fit (anymore). at Eleanor's school they learn how to deal with the loss of the world they had to leave and they can share their stories with others who understand.

Ever read a book where at the end the kid comes home after amazing adventures in a fantastical far away world and where they made tons of friends, and instead of seeing it as a good ending you cried for the loss of the magic, the friends, and the fitting in that the lead character found in that world? This book is for you if you answered yes!

I was hooked from the start and felt for Nancy. She misses the world she found, the acceptance she got there, the life she had there, and mourns that loss. Her parents don't understand her and in the hope of getting her to become normal again (read: be the happy pastel colored daughter they want, instead of the quiet girl dressed in black she wants to be.) they send her off to Eleanor West’s Home for Wayward Children. I tell you: if I found a door like Nancy's door when I was a child, this story could have been about me!

I rooted for Nancy while also being grabbed by the mystery of what dark thing is going on at the school. I couldn't put the book down until I reached the end. And I bawled my eyes out in the best of ways, I can tell you. It's been a long time since a story hit me this hard emotionally.

You bet I immediately ordered a print copy of this book and it will be reread and hugged often. I also picked up Beneath the Sugar Sky right away.

Why should you read it:
It's a beautiful and emotional Fantasy read.


Buy from Amazon

Tricks for Free - Book Review

Tricks for Free (InCryptid #7)
by Seanan McGuire

What is it about:
Penance, noun:
1. Punishment for past actions.
2. An attempt to pay for what can’t be bought.
3. See also “exile.”

Antimony Price is on the run. With the Covenant on her tail and her family still in danger, she needs to get far, far away from anyone who might recognize her—including her own mice. For the first time in a long time, a Price is flying without a safety net. Where do you go when you need to disappear into a crowd without worrying about attracting attention? An amusement park, of course.

Some people would call Lowryland the amusement park. It’s one of the largest in Florida, the keystone of the Lowry entertainment empire…but for Annie, it’s a place to hide. She’s just trying to keep her head down long enough to come up with a plan that will get her home without getting anyone killed. No small order when she’s rooming with gorgons and sylphs, trying to placate frustrated ghosts, and rushing to get to work on time.

Then the accidents begin. The discovery of a dead man brings Annie to the attention of the secret cabal of magic users running Lowryland from behind the scenes. They want the fire that sleeps in her fingers. They want her on their side. They want to help her—although their help, like everything else, comes with a price.

No plan. Minimal backup. No way out. Annie’s about to get a crash course in the reality behind the pretty facade. If she’s lucky, she’ll survive the experience.

What did I think of it:
This is yet another cool addition to this series, even though Antimony isn't my favorite Price sibling.

To keep her family safe Antimony has to hide from both them and the Covenant. She decides to hide in a big amusement park only to stumble on a new danger.

As I said: Antimony isn't my favorite. Her bitching about my actual favorite isn't earning her any brownie points either. That said: Antimony does have cool friends, so I was hooked from the start to see what was going on and if my favorites would make it out alive.

The story is intriguing and new and cool information about some incryptids is discovered along the way. The ending is not a cliffhanger, but enough has happened that I need to read the next book soon!

Why should you read it:
It's a cool Urban Fantasy read set in an amusement park.


buy from bookdepository

Come Tumbling Down - Release Day Book Review

Come Tumbling Down (Wayward Children #5)
by Seanan McGuire

What is it about:
The fifth installment in Seanan McGuire's award-winning, bestselling Wayward Children series, Come Tumbling Down picks up the threads left dangling by Every Heart a Doorway and Down Among the Sticks and Bones

When Jack left Eleanor West's School for Wayward Children she was carrying the body of her deliciously deranged sister--whom she had recently murdered in a fit of righteous justice--back to their home on the Moors.

But death in their adopted world isn't always as permanent as it is here, and when Jack is herself carried back into the school, it becomes clear that something has happened to her. Something terrible. Something of which only the maddest of scientists could conceive. Something only her friends are equipped to help her overcome.

Eleanor West's "No Quests" rule is about to be broken.

Again.

What did I think of it:
I read the other books of this series last year when Beneath The Sugar Sky was nominated for the Hugo's and immediately fell in love with them. So you bet I was excited when I won an ARC of Come Tumbling Down in a giveaway so I could read it early.

And this is yet again a wonderful read.

This book continues the story of Jack and Jill and takes the students to the Gothic world first introduced in Down Among the Sticks and Bones. Jill isn't as dead as she seemed to be at the end of Every Heart a Doorway and Jack needs help stopping her or the world she has come to love and everyone in it might suffer the consequences.

There are some difficult choices to be made, and possibly some sacrifices as well. I couldn't stop reading, I had to know how things would end. Would my favorite characters make it through their ordeals unscathed?

All in all this is a really cool story full of suspense and emotion. You bet I'll be eagerly awaiting the next book, because I need more!

Why should you read it:
It's a heartbreakingly cool read.


buy from:
bookdepository - amazon

Magic for Nothing - Book Review

Magic for Nothing (InCryptid #6)
by Seanan McGuire

What is it about:
As the youngest of the three Price children, Antimony is used to people not expecting much from her. She’s been happy playing roller derby and hanging out with her cousins, leaving the globe-trotting to her older siblings while she stays at home and tries to decide what she wants to do with her life. She always knew that one day, things would have to change. She didn’t think they’d change so fast.

Annie’s expectations keep getting shattered. She didn’t expect Verity to declare war on the Covenant of St. George on live television. She didn’t expect the Covenant to take her sister’s threat seriously. And she definitely didn’t expect to be packed off to London to infiltrate the Covenant from the inside…but as the only Price in her generation without a strong resemblance to the rest of the family, she’s the perfect choice to play spy. They need to know what’s coming. Their lives may depend on it.

But Annie has some secrets of her own, like the fact that she’s started setting things on fire when she touches them, and has no idea how to control it. Now she’s headed halfway around the world, into the den of the enemy, where blowing her cover could get her killed. She’s pretty sure things can’t get much worse.

Antimony Price is about to learn just how wrong it’s possible for one cryptozoologist to be.

What did I think of it:
Did I text a friend halfway through the book to ask her if I was rooting for the wrong guy yet again? Totally!

That said: I very much enjoyed this book even though I wasn't happy with the love interest and also not that happy with Antimony at times.

I loved learning a bit more about the Covenant of St. George, and about the carnival Annie has to infiltrate. The mice are also part of the story again, and where there are Aeslin mice you have a happy piggy!

Antimony did work on my nerves half the time, and the other half I cheered her on. She really needs to do some growing up in my opinion, and to stop blaming others for her own choices. But overall I could root for her and her allies, and I was eager to see where things would lead.

The ending, although not a cliffhanger, left me hungry for more, so I'll try to get my trotters on the next book soon.

Why should you read it:
It's a very fun and entertaining UF read.


Buy from bookdepository

Middlegame - Book Review

Middlegame
by Seanan McGuire

What is it about:
Meet Roger. Skilled with words, languages come easily to him. He instinctively understands how the world works through the power of story.

Meet Dodger, his twin. Numbers are her world, her obsession, her everything. All she understands, she does so through the power of math.

Roger and Dodger aren’t exactly human, though they don’t realise it. They aren’t exactly gods, either. Not entirely. Not yet.

Meet Reed, skilled in the alchemical arts like his progenitor before him. Reed created Dodger and her brother. He’s not their father. Not quite. But he has a plan: to raise the twins to the highest power, to ascend with them and claim their authority as his own.

Godhood is attainable. Pray it isn’t attained.

What did I think of it:
This is an intense, awesome, and emotional read.

Roger and Dodger are created by an alchemist with specific plans. They however don't know about this, and all they know is that they're different. As the story unfolds they learn more and more about themselves and it was so satisfying to follow them on this journey filled with failure, heartache, and hope.

Dodger was my favorite character. In some ways she reminded me of myself and this made what happens to her in this story all the more emotional. Roger could be a real ass at times, but he was mostly ok.

This book does make you work. With several viewpoint characters, and some sudden switches in the story you had to pay attention to understand what's going on. I was glued to the pages and even knowing a bit more than Roger and Dodger do I was blindsided at times. This is a weird and wonderful read I can tell you.

All in all a beautiful read. I need to work my way through all of Seanan's books I haven't read yet, because I want more.

Why should you read it:
It's a beautiful and wonderful read.


buy from bookdepository

Chaos Choreography - Book Review

Chaos Choreography (InCryptid #5)
by Seanan McGuire

What is it about:
Destiny, Noun:
1. The inevitable or irresistible course of events.
2. The inescapable future.
3. See also "Screwed."

Verity Price is back on the West Coast and getting back into the swing of the family business: cryptozoology. She's rescuing cryptids from bad situations, protecting them from monster-hunters, and generally risking life and limb for the greater good, with her ex-Covenant partner/husband, Dominic, by her side. Her ballroom dance career is behind her...or so she thinks.

When Verity gets the call from the producers of Dance or Die, the reality show she almost won several years before, she finds the lure of a comeback impossible to resist, and she and Dominic are off to L.A. for one last shot at the big time.

Of course, nothing is that simple. When two of her fellow contestants turn up dead, Verity will need every ally she can find--and a couple she wasn't looking for--in order to navigate the complicated steps of both the tango and a murder investigation without blowing her cover. It doesn't help that her official family backup is her grandmother, Alice Price-Healy, who thinks "subtle" is something that happens to other people.

Winning this competition may have just become a matter of life and death.

What did I think of it:
This is my favorite of the books in this series so far!

Verity is returning to the stage to find out once and for all if she made the right choice in giving up her dancing for cryptozoology. She didn't expect things to get quite so dicey though, and soon she's dancing for her life.

I love Verity and Dominic and was hooked from the start. Some really cool other characters got added to the action, grandmother Alice not even being the coolest in my opinion - and she is an awesome lady, I can tell you. The mice are also once again present, and I rooted for them to help save the day.

All in all this book is fun, action-packed, and suspenseful. I did have some suspicions as to who or what was behind it all, but there were some surprises along the way. The ending was totally awesome and promises lots more cool action and adventures for the Price family. You bet i'll get my trotters on the the next book soon.

Why should you read it:
It's a fun and very entertaining UF read.


buy from bookdepository

Parasite - Book Review

Parasite (Parasitology #1)
by Mira Grant

What is it about:
A decade in the future, humanity thrives in the absence of sickness and disease.

We owe our good health to a humble parasite - a genetically engineered tapeworm developed by the pioneering SymboGen Corporation. When implanted, the tapeworm protects us from illness, boosts our immune system - even secretes designer drugs. It's been successful beyond the scientists' wildest dreams. Now, years on, almost every human being has a SymboGen tapeworm living within them.

But these parasites are getting restless. They want their own lives...and will do anything to get them.

What did I think of it:
I wasn't a fan of Feed, the first book in the Newsflesh series by Mira Grant, but I love everything I've read from her under her Seanan McGuire penname. So I decided to give Parasite and try.

And it is so cool!

Sal is the first person to be saved from death by the SymboGen parasite and is still under observation six years later to see how she copes after her near death experience. She and her boyfriend Nathan get caught up in strange events involving the parasitic implants and they go hunting for the truth.

I loved Sal. She has amnesia since her accident and is trying to rebuild her life. Her parents however are afraid to let her go especially as she's not the same anymore. I loved reading how Sal tries to find her own way in life and how she copes when she and Nathan try to get to the bottom of the strange illness that seems to target people with a parasitic implant. I also really liked Nathan. He stands by Sal's side when she needs him and trusts her judgement where her parents do not.

Slowly things get worse and time seems to be running out. I was totally hooked and couldn't stop reading. I had to know what Sal and Nathan would uncover. Who was to be trusted, what was going on exactly, and would Sal and Nathan manage to uncover the truth in time. Some things in this book were quite obvious in my opinion, but I didn't mind one bit. Even knowing some things they might uncover I was totally rooting for them.

The worldbuilding is very realistic. I could easily belief a parasite like that could be engineered. I was at times seriously icked out by the descriptions and events. All in all a really cool read. You bet I'll get hold of the next book in this series.

Why should you read it:
It's a really cool and disturbing read.


buy from bookdepository

InCryptid Shorts

Before starting on book 5 in this series I wanted to read all the free short stories Seanan McGuire has on her website that feature Verity and that take place before book 5. They're too short to review all on their own, so here are my quick and short thoughts on them.


Incryptid Shorts
by Seanan McGuire

Snake in the Glass (InCryptid #3.3)
Verity and Dominic stay in an InCryptid hotel and solve problems.
I liked this one. It gives insight in Gorgon society and develops the relationship between Verity and Dominic a bit more.

Swamp Bromeliad (InCryptid #3.4)
Verity shows Dominic where her family came from and end up adventuring in the swamp.
Another cool story. Gives background info on the Price family and introduces a creepy InCryptid.

Waking Up In Vegas (InCryptid #3.5)
Verity and Dominic stay in Vegas for a special occasion and there's trouble.
Another fun short story. More relationship developments and Verity saves the day.

My Last Name (InCryptid #3.6)
Verity and Dominic arrive at the family home.
My least favorite. I really do not like Verity's parents.

---------------

All in all these are fun shorts that grow the world a bit more and fill in some events between the moment Verity and Dominic left New York and the start of book 5, which I will soon read. Recommended to fans of this series.

In an Absent Dream - Book Review

In an Absent Dream (Wayward Children #4)
by Seanan McGuire

What is it about:
This fourth entry and prequel tells the story of Lundy, a very serious young girl who would rather study and dream than become a respectable housewife and live up to the expectations of the world around her. As well she should.

When she finds a doorway to a world founded on logic and reason, riddles and lies, she thinks she's found her paradise. Alas, everything costs at the goblin market, and when her time there is drawing to a close, she makes the kind of bargain that never plays out well.

What did I think of it:
I ended my Wayward Children binge with In an Absent Dream, another prequel that can be read as a standalone.

This is my least favorite of the series. Not because the story isn't good. Not because the world isn't interesting. Both were as excellent as in the previous books. It was because of Lundy. She is the kind of character I want to kick some sense into. She sees herself as being responsible for the people around her, and she tries to take on their problems and solve them. In this she takes away their agency and their opportunity to fix their own mistakes and learn from them. I really did not like her, and the impending disaster you just can see coming because of her choices made this also a far more depressing read than the other books.

Still this is a valuable addition to the series and I'll be eagerly awaiting the release of the next book.

Why should you read it:
It's a compelling Fantasy read.


buy from Amazon

Beneath the Sugar Sky - Book Review

Beneath the Sugar Sky (Wayward Children #3)
by Seanan McGuire

What is it about:
When Rini lands with a literal splash in the pond behind Eleanor West's Home for Wayward Children, the last thing she expects to find is that her mother, Sumi, died years before Rini was even conceived. But Rini can’t let Reality get in the way of her quest – not when she has an entire world to save! (Much more common than one would suppose.)

If she can't find a way to restore her mother, Rini will have more than a world to save: she will never have been born in the first place. And in a world without magic, she doesn’t have long before Reality notices her existence and washes her away. Good thing the student body is well-acquainted with quests...

A tale of friendship, baking, and derring-do.

Warning: May contain nuts.

What did I think of it:
And finally I got to the book that is a Hugo nominee this year! I will confess that I did feel a bit guilty that I read the two books before this one, because I did put aside two of the Hugo nominees in the novella category for not being the first in a series. But then again: at least I'm trying to get some of the nominations read instead of just voting for what sounds familiar.

Anyway: This story is mainly told from the perspective of Cora. A new student at Eleanor's school. There are characters who played an important role in the first book who are once again playing bigger roles in this book as well. So I'm glad I read the first book, because it made this story come alive even more.

The children/teens decide to help out Rini, who is from the future of the Fantastical world her mother traveled back to as a child after staying at the school. Except... her mother died before going back. So it's up to Cora and her friends to find a way to undo the past.

I loved getting to know yet another fantastical world, and to learn more about the students I already met in the first book, as well as getting to know the new characters. This book wasn't as emotional for me as the first, but I very much enjoyed the adventures and the camaraderie between the teens.

All in all a great addition to this series, and I immediately went on to read book 4.

Why should you read it:
It's a really fun Fantasy read


buy from Amazon

Every Heart a Doorway - Book Review

Every Heart a Doorway (Wayward Children #1)
by Seanan McGuire

What is it about:
Eleanor West’s Home for Wayward Children
No Solicitations
No Visitors
No Quests

Children have always disappeared under the right conditions; slipping through the shadows under a bed or at the back of a wardrobe, tumbling down rabbit holes and into old wells, and emerging somewhere... else.

But magical lands have little need for used-up miracle children.

Nancy tumbled once, but now she’s back. The things she’s experienced... they change a person. The children under Miss West’s care understand all too well. And each of them is seeking a way back to their own fantasy world.

But Nancy’s arrival marks a change at the Home. There’s a darkness just around each corner, and when tragedy strikes, it’s up to Nancy and her new-found schoolmates to get to the heart of the matter.

No matter the cost.

What did I think of it:
After reading Down Among the Sticks and Bones I decided I needed to read the first book as well, before moving on to book 3 for... clarity. Yeah, that's it: clarity. Not because I was eager for lots more of this series. *cough*

And this book just blew me away!

Eleanor West’s Home for Wayward Children is a boarding school for children and teens who found a doorway to a another world, but then got back home where they don't fit (anymore). at Eleanor's school they learn how to deal with the loss of the world they had to leave and they can share their stories with others who understand.

Ever read a book where at the end the kid comes home after amazing adventures in a fantastical far away world and where they made tons of friends, and instead of seeing it as a good ending you cried for the loss of the magic, the friends, and the fitting in that the lead character found in that world? This book is for you if you answered yes!

I was hooked from the start and felt for Nancy. She misses the world she found, the acceptance she got there, the life she had there, and mourns that loss. Her parents don't understand her and in the hope of getting her to become normal again (read: be the happy pastel colored daughter they want, instead of the quiet girl dressed in black she wants to be.) they send her off to Eleanor West’s Home for Wayward Children. I tell you: if I found a door like Nancy's door when I was a child, this story could have been about me!

I rooted for Nancy while also being grabbed by the mystery of what dark thing is going on at the school. I couldn't put the book down until I reached the end. And I bawled my eyes out in the best of ways, I can tell you. It's been a long time since a story hit me this hard emotionally.

You bet I immediately ordered a print copy of this book and it will be reread and hugged often. I also picked up Beneath the Sugar Sky right away.

Why should you read it:
It's a beautiful and emotional Fantasy read.


Buy from Amazon

Down Among the Sticks and Bones - Book Review

Down Among the Sticks and Bones (Wayward Children #2)
by Seanan McGuire

What is it about:
Twin sisters Jack and Jill were seventeen when they found their way home and were packed off to Eleanor West’s Home for Wayward Children.

This is the story of what happened first…

Jacqueline was her mother’s perfect daughter—polite and quiet, always dressed as a princess. If her mother was sometimes a little strict, it’s because crafting the perfect daughter takes discipline.

Jillian was her father’s perfect daughter—adventurous, thrill-seeking, and a bit of a tom-boy. He really would have preferred a son, but you work with what you've got.

They were five when they learned that grown-ups can’t be trusted.

They were twelve when they walked down the impossible staircase and discovered that the pretense of love can never be enough to prepare you a life filled with magic in a land filled with mad scientists and death and choices.

What did I think of it:
After I read all the short stories nominated for the Hugo Awards I wanted to start on the novellas. One of the nominated novellas was by Seanan McGuire: Beneath the Sugar Sky. It's the third book in a series, and I happened to have book two -Down Among the Sticks and Bones- in my TBR pile. As I already planned to read it before August I decided to pick it up before starting on Beneath the Sugar Sky.

Once I started on this book I couldn't put it down until I finished it!

Jack and Jill are twin sisters and born to parents who never should have had children. The two of them are molded into the form their parents want them to take until the day they find a door to another world. Once there they get to make their own choices, but with choices come consequences, and it's up to them to see what they can live with.

I very much enjoyed this story. Next to being a suspenseful story about traveling to a universe that seemed equal parts Dracula and Frankenstein it has a lot of hidden depths. It's about conformity and discovering who you are or want to be. I couldn't help cheering both girls on to find their way.

I started out liking both of them, but as the story unfolded my feelings shifted and soon I was cheering on only one of them, while hoping the other would stray from the path she had chosen. The ending was bittersweet and made me hungry for more. I knew that moving on to book three wouldn't be enough and that I had to read the whole series, so you bet I got my trotters on a digital copy of book one.

*This story is readable as a standalone and although it's the second book in the series, it is a prequel to the first book*

Why should you read it:
It's a really cool Young Adult Fantasy read.


buy from bookdepository

Pocket Apocalypse - Book Review

Pocket Apocalypse - (InCryptid #4)
by Seanan McGuire

What is it about:
Endangered, adjective: Threatened with extinction or immediate harm.
Australia, noun: A good place to become endangered.

Alexander Price has survived gorgons, basilisks, and his own family—no small feat, considering that his family includes two telepaths, a reanimated corpse, and a colony of talking, pantheistic mice. Still, he’s starting to feel like he’s got the hang of things…at least until his girlfriend, Shelby Tanner, shows up asking pointed questions about werewolves and the state of his passport. From there, it’s just a hop, skip, and a jump to Australia, a continent filled with new challenges, new dangers, and yes, rival cryptozoologists who don’t like their “visiting expert” very much.

Australia is a cryptozoologist’s dream, filled with unique species and unique challenges. Unfortunately, it’s also filled with Shelby’s family, who aren’t delighted by the length of her stay in America. And then there are the werewolves to consider: infected killing machines who would like nothing more than to claim the continent as their own. The continent which currently includes Alex.

Survival is hard enough when you’re on familiar ground. Alex Price is very far from home, but there’s one thing he knows for sure: he’s not going down without a fight.

What did I think of it:
This is such a fun series!

This book is a great addition and made me fall even more in love with the Aeslin mice. Alexander and Shelby travel to Australia to help Shelby's family with a werewolf problem, but they might be in over their heads.

I loved discovering how werewolves work in this universe, and they are among the creepiest werewolves I've come across. I also liked seeing another cryptozoologist organisation at work. There were some interesting characters, and some very annoying ones as well. I was once again hooked from the start.

There are some dicey situations in this book and I must say I worried how things would turn out. Alex being out of his element and surrounded by people who refuse to listen to him, made things even more suspenseful.

All in all a great read and I'm eager to continue this series. I have the next full novel lined up already, but will first read some more shorter stories that precede that book.

Why should you read it:
It's a fun UF series with cool mythology!


buy from bookdepository

The Ghosts of Bourbon Street - Book Review

The Ghosts of Bourbon Street (InCryptid #3.1)
by Seanan McGuire

What is it About:
Verity Price and Dominic De Luca are currently putting their relationship through what can only be termed the ultimate stress-test: they're traveling from one side of the country to the other in a rented U-Haul, accompanied only by Verity's colony of Aeslin mice and the contents of her iPod. (Dominic is receiving a crash course in modern dance and pop music.)

But what's a road trip without a hidden purpose? Verity knows she's driving Dominic toward the biggest confrontation of his life—her parents—and that means she needs to start easing him in gently. What better way than with a stop in New Orleans to drink layered cocktails and meet her fun-loving Aunt Rose, who just happens to be a Predeceased American?

Poor Dominic didn't set out to become part of a ghost story, but it looks like that's exactly what's happening, as the old, new, and undead collide all over Bourbon Street.

(Best read after Half-Off Ragnarok.)

What did I think of it:
This free story is a bit longer and more of a story than the previous two shorts I read.

Th Incryptid series and the Ghost Roads series meet in this story as Verity introduces Dominic to her ghostly aunt Rose.

I liked getting to know Rose and to learn a bit more about ghosts in this universe. I also loved getting more Verity and Dominic. The adventure they go on is fun and much too short in my opinion. I wanted so much more of these characters and of the spooky things they encounter. I will continue the Incryptid series, and will add the Ghost Roads series to my wish list.

Why should you read it:
If you love the Incryptid series, you need to read this free stories as well.


Get it here