So with this review I think I’ve finally worked my way through the backlog of books. I mean, I’ve still got a couple that I need to review but they’re more recent. Yay!? Anyway Tricks for Free is the latest book in Seanan McGuire’s InCryptid series. It was fun, and I’m firmly committed to this series. I don’t know if this book is my favorite, but I enjoyed every second I spent reading it.
This book follows Antimony Price to a Disney World stand-in. Antimony is trying hard to stay off the radar of The Covenant of St George and away from her family, especially because they have her hair and blood and can use that to trace her to her family. This means she’s isolated and alone in a way that none of the other Price children have been in their respective stories. Anyway, she goes to knock-off Disney World (cause it’s also in Florida) to try and hide in a crowd. The fact that it’s essentially a big circus, one of the places Antimony feels most at home, is just a bonus. Of course she manages to find a few Cryptids and falls head first into a mystery.
To be honest, mostly this book felt like a set up book. The ostensible A plot, mysterious accidents that were killing people in the park, felt mostly like an afterthought and a way to get Antimony into position for the next couple of novels. That doesn’t mean the book wasn’t enjoyable. I devoured the descriptions of off-brand Disney World and the life behind the scenes as if they were my favorite candy. But it does mean that the big impact of things that happened in this novel, are more likely to be felt further down the series, so the emotional pay off was a bit lighter.
I love this series, it’s fun and the world building is spectacular. I recommend this, and Seanan McGuire in general, to everyone who even remotely asks for an urban fantasy series, but obviously don’t start with this book.
I like the Annie books but I don’t think they are clicking for me as much as Verity and even Alex is because Sam is a nice guy but not really doing it for me as a love interest. Your thoughts?
I’m pretty ambivalent on him, he’s fine but then so were all of the other love interests. I think it’s fair to say that I find the romance part of the novels to be the least interesting part of them. I mean, I like the respective partners and think they’re fun, but I’d have been fine if they all ended up single.
I think that one relationship is just at the bottom for me because of the whole primary form being animalistic/furry. Vs some of the other shapeshifters where both are natural to them. Apparently I draw a line at furry.
I get that. I was a little weirded out with the whole sexy tail thing, but I really do mostly just kind of brush over the romances in these books.