“Take a Peek” book reviews are short and (possibly) sweet, keeping the commentary brief and providing a little peek at what the book’s about and what I thought.
Synopsis:
(via Goodreads)
When Alex Price agreed to go to Ohio to oversee a basilisk breeding program and assist in the recovery of his psychic cousin, he didn’t expect people to start dropping dead. But bodies are cropping up at the zoo where he works, and his girlfriend—Shelby Tanner, an Australian zoologist with a fondness for big cats—is starting to get suspicious.
Worse yet, the bodies have all been turned partially to stone…
The third book in the InCryptid series takes us to a new location and a new member of the family, as Alex tries to balance life, work, and the strong desire not to become a piece of garden statuary. Old friends and new are on the scene, and danger lurks around every corner.
Of course, so do the talking mice.
My Thoughts:
The 3rd book in the InCryptid series shifts the focus to a different member of the Price family, Verity’s older brother Alexander. After reading the first two books, it’s a bit jarring to relocate from New York to Ohio, and switch gears from Verity’s high adrenaline dashes across Manhattan rooftops to Alex’s more scholarly pursuits at the zoo. Still, it’s not long before trouble finds Alex — an occupational hazard of being part of the Price family of cryptozoologists.
I wouldn’t be a cryptozoologist if I didn’t like a bit of excitement every now and again. I just didn’t expect the excitement to be quite so flammable, that’s all.
Despite my initial reluctance to leave Verity behind (for now), I was quickly sucked into Alex’s world, particularly once his relationship with Shelby takes off and he discovers that they have much more in common (oh, like advanced weaponry skills and a deep knowledge of impossible creatures) than they initially realized.
She didn’t carry a hunting rifle on a regular basis, but aside from that, she was everything I’d ever wanted in a woman…
This series continues to be fun and mostly light in tone, despite the dead bodies and sad family situations that crop up. The InCryptid books are much sillier and goofier than the October Daye series, which may be why I’m less emotionally invested in these. Still, it’s all entertaining and enjoyable, and I plan to continue onward.
And hey, more talking mice!
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The details:
Title: Half-Off Ragnarok (InCryptid series, book #3)
Author: Seanan McGuire
Publisher: DAW
Publication date: March 4, 2014
Length: 356 pages
Genre: Urban fantasy
Source: Library
Bookshelf Fantasies 