Happiest of bookdays to Seanan McGuire! Today, the newest installment of her InCryptid series is released upon the unsuspecting world. I’ve already given you a good list of reasons to pick up the series at the link above. This week is for the existing fans. If you, like me, have been charmed or heartbroken by an Aeslin mouse or two, let’s talk about the latest installment, Tricks for Free!
Tricks For Free (2018)
Written by: Seanan McGuire
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Pages: 432 (Kindle)
Series: Book 7 of InCryptid
Publisher: DAW
Disclaimer: I received an ARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley…but let’s be honest, I pre-ordered it the day that it was available.
Why I Chose It: *ahem*
Premise:
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.
No spoilers for this installment, but may be minor spoilers for previous books. This is a brand new book; spoiling it would be rude.
Discussion: So, first, let us deal with something that is mentioned in the back cover copy of the novel, and thus does not constitute a spoiler: there are no Aeslin mice. None at all. Recall that Antimony had Sam take Mindy and Mork to the airport at the end of Magic For Nothing, for their own safety. I understand why Annie felt the need to do this, but I also disagree with her decision. The mice chronicle the Price family history. There won’t be any who know what happened to Annie during her time in Florida, and almost seems like it’s going to cause problems in the future. Of course, I am frequently incorrect in speculating about what will happen in the future of my favorite fandoms; it could be nothing.
That out of the way, I was so relieved that Annie wasn’t completely alone in this volume. If you’ve read any of her previous roller derby short stories (“Blocked,” “Bad Dream Girl,” or “Jammed”), you will recognize one of Annie’s band of allies. I was surprised and glad to see her there. Everybody needs some sort of backup, and while she isn’t the strongest cryptid in the room, she’s a loyal friend, and that’s what Annie needs the most when the book opens: friends. This is doubly important, as Annie is completely severed from her family, save her ghostly “aunt,” Mary. As a ghost, Mary can only do so much to assist her eternal babysitting charge and honorary niece. Having friends who care for Annie is the next best thing.
The driving plot of the novel led to some of the most violent, frightening action sequences that I’ve seen in this series to date. So, fair warning, if this sort of thing bothers you, you may want to steel yourself before you tumble down the rabbit hole of this book. There’s blood, burning, and death to contend with. So much death in one particular scene. It was hard for me to read, but at the same time I couldn’t look away. Annie really comes into her own in this novel. She faces down horrifying tragedies and just keeps going. She knows she has to. Could it be that our little Annie is growing up?
It could be. Annie previously had nothing good to say about her older sister, Verity. We learn a bit more about the Price siblings’ past together and what led Annie to have so much bitterness towards Verity. Even in the midst of a chain reaction of tragedy and violence, Annie begins to thaw towards her sister. It’s a shame that Verity doesn’t know anything about this yet. One hopes that this will be rectified in another book or two. I, for one, cannot wait to see the Price sisters reunited and working together in a future volume.
Bonus!
At the end of the novel, a sweet treat awaits! Those who support McGuire via Patreon got to read about how Annie’s mice, Mork and Mindy, navigated their way to the plane that would take them home to the rest of the Price clan. For those who aren’t patrons, rejoice! “The Recitation of the Most Holy and Harrowing Pilgrimage of Mindy and Also Mork” is included here. For years, readers clamored for a story about the Aeslin mice. Well, readers, here you go. Grab some tissues. The Aeslin mice are far more serious and tragic than you first believe them to be. This is the story that explains why.
This novella also gives us some time with Sam, Annie’s almost-not-quite-but-maybe boyfriend and what’s going on with him and the rest of his circus family after the events of Magic For Nothing. If you didn’t like Sam before, I am confident that you will change your mind after hearing his side of the story.
In conclusion: This is a great addition to the existing series. I was glued to the book until I finished. I wasn’t so sure that I actually liked Antimony that much after Magic For Nothing. Watching her grow up in this novel vastly changed my opinion of her. I hope that you enjoy this installment as much as I did.
My copy just came in the mail! Is it wrong to want to drop everything just to read it? My head says yes, but my heart says no…..
Finally, finished! Every time I finish an InCryptid book I just want to keep reading more. I do have several stories waiting on my Kindle, so maybe those will be next?
Now, this is a spoiler, but what exactly did we learn about why Annie hates Verity so much? I caught a single sentence that made me wonder, but I feel like I missed something specific?
Loved the Mindy and Mork story. So, so cute.
And I see the next book will also focus on Annie! Excellent! Now, when’s it coming out…. ?
Verity and Alex are close in a way that Annie never was. She doesn’t look like them, she feels left out because of her siblings’ relationship, and she lives in their shadow. Verity’s a talented ballroom dancer, Alex is a brilliant scientist, and Annie doesn’t have anything that she feels is important enough. Also Verity exposes the family on TV and that spark was enough to kick off Annie’s resentment into a fully blazed case of I CANNOT STAND MY SISTER.
Ok, then I didn’t miss anything! I knew she was pissed over the tv thing, but there was a line when the PARADE HAPPENED that made me wonder if Annie had been forgotten somewhere as a kid.
Look, I wasn’t kidding when I said I couldn’t put it down 😉 read at your own risk!
Is it weird that the part I’m the most excited to read is the Aeslin mice short story?