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katieinca's review
2.0
An InCryptid book with NO MICE. A muddled plot arc. And a lot of me turning to the other half of my 2-person book club saying "hey have you read this part yet? How is that supposed to have worked? Do they have special physics?" and "Huh, that character/concept was super important for just a chapter or two and then we don't think about it again?" I can roll with a certain amount of suspension of disbelief and slight of hand, but this got distracting.
It was ok.
It was ok.
distgenius's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
hopeful
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
maxtrommelen's review
adventurous
funny
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
bunrab's review
5.0
Continues to be one of my favorite series. This volume is the continuation of Antimony's adventures. Roller derby is integral. The add-on story of Mindy and Mork's journey home is cute.
tani's review
4.0
After having some trouble getting into the previous book in this series, I was a bit worried about this one, but it turns out that my worries were completely unfounded. Tricks for Free was one of my favorite entries in the series to date. Annie has really grown on me, I guess.
So, in this book, Antimony is on the run from the Covenant, and is hiding out at Lowryland, the next best thing to Disneyland. She starts the book alone, without a plan, and still fighting to keep from burning down everything she touches. I don't want to say too much about what happens during the book, as I think this is one that is truly better if you don't know what's going to happen, so I guess I'll keep this relatively short.
First, the setting of this was a lot of fun. Disneyland is where I went for my honeymoon, so having a setting that was somewhat modeled after that was really amusing for me, and made the beginning of the book a bit more absorbing than it might have otherwise been.
Second, I loved that we got to learn more about magic in this book. We also got a few new incryptids, both of whom were pretty awesome, but the magic was a real highlight for me. I'm really glad that Annie is a magic-user because it adds a very cool extra layer to her character and the world-building, and its an element that I'm excited to see more of in the next book.
Third, there's a real found family theme building in Annie's books that I'm honestly loving. It's the kind of thing that absolutely makes sense for Annie, who feels pretty alienated from most of her actual family, and the people that she chooses for that found family are pretty awesome. Also, having a slightly larger cast of characters in this book was a real draw for me, and I hope that all of the characters get more time to grow and develop in the next book.
Also worth mentioning is the little novelette at the end of the book, which tells the story of a few things that happened in between this book and the previous one. It was a cute and touching addition to the series, and I'm glad I got to read it.
Anyway, I'm really excited that the next book will also feature Annie, and I can't wait to see where the story takes her!
So, in this book, Antimony is on the run from the Covenant, and is hiding out at Lowryland, the next best thing to Disneyland. She starts the book alone, without a plan, and still fighting to keep from burning down everything she touches. I don't want to say too much about what happens during the book, as I think this is one that is truly better if you don't know what's going to happen, so I guess I'll keep this relatively short.
First, the setting of this was a lot of fun. Disneyland is where I went for my honeymoon, so having a setting that was somewhat modeled after that was really amusing for me, and made the beginning of the book a bit more absorbing than it might have otherwise been.
Second, I loved that we got to learn more about magic in this book. We also got a few new incryptids, both of whom were pretty awesome, but the magic was a real highlight for me. I'm really glad that Annie is a magic-user because it adds a very cool extra layer to her character and the world-building, and its an element that I'm excited to see more of in the next book.
Third, there's a real found family theme building in Annie's books that I'm honestly loving. It's the kind of thing that absolutely makes sense for Annie, who feels pretty alienated from most of her actual family, and the people that she chooses for that found family are pretty awesome. Also, having a slightly larger cast of characters in this book was a real draw for me, and I hope that all of the characters get more time to grow and develop in the next book.
Also worth mentioning is the little novelette at the end of the book, which tells the story of a few things that happened in between this book and the previous one. It was a cute and touching addition to the series, and I'm glad I got to read it.
Anyway, I'm really excited that the next book will also feature Annie, and I can't wait to see where the story takes her!
malreynolds111's review
3.0
I received an advance copy from Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.
The latest installment of the InCryptid series continues the story of Antimony Price. I really didn't care for her attitude in the previous book, but felt like I got to know her better in this one. It didn't resolve her issues with the Covenant of St. George but I expect that to take a few books anyway.
The latest installment of the InCryptid series continues the story of Antimony Price. I really didn't care for her attitude in the previous book, but felt like I got to know her better in this one. It didn't resolve her issues with the Covenant of St. George but I expect that to take a few books anyway.
lisawreading's review
5.0
Another outstanding InCryptid story -- the 2nd featuring Antimony in the lead role, this time hiding out at a Florida theme park and running into a new, dangerous threat. Plus, lots of roller skating, hanging out with ghosts, gorgons, and a maybe-boyfriend, and all the silly banter we love from Seanan McGuire.
And now, I'm all caught up on InCryptids, and have to wait until 2019 for more. Sob.
And now, I'm all caught up on InCryptids, and have to wait until 2019 for more. Sob.
rusticreadingal's review
4.0
4.5 Stars
With the way the last book ended, I had to get my hands on a copy of this one as fast as I could. It was awesome. Even better than Magic for Nothing. Annie didn't get on my nerves nearly as bad. I mean, there were still a couple of moments, but nothing like before. She really came into herself in this book.
Annie's on the run and hiding from the Covenant of St. George. She can't go home because that would just lead the Covenant straight to her family. So that's not an option. She decides to head to Florida, to Lowryland, an amusement park similar to Disneyland. It's the perfect place to hide and blend in with the crowd. But not long after she gets there, a lot of accidents, some fatal, start occurring around her. Are these incidents really accidents? Could it be sabotage? Or is something more sinister going on?
I can't even tell you how much fun I had reading Tricks for Free. It was the perfect distraction to the craziness going on in the real world. I loved getting a behind the scenes look at an amusement park. And I really liked seeing Annie with her friends. She was pretty much on her own in the last book, so I was glad to see some of her friends show up. A lot happens in this book and one of those things is major. It's sure have some far-reaching consequences. I'm very eager to find out what happens next.
NOTE: This book does contain some strong language.
With the way the last book ended, I had to get my hands on a copy of this one as fast as I could. It was awesome. Even better than Magic for Nothing. Annie didn't get on my nerves nearly as bad. I mean, there were still a couple of moments, but nothing like before. She really came into herself in this book.
Annie's on the run and hiding from the Covenant of St. George. She can't go home because that would just lead the Covenant straight to her family. So that's not an option. She decides to head to Florida, to Lowryland, an amusement park similar to Disneyland. It's the perfect place to hide and blend in with the crowd. But not long after she gets there, a lot of accidents, some fatal, start occurring around her. Are these incidents really accidents? Could it be sabotage? Or is something more sinister going on?
I can't even tell you how much fun I had reading Tricks for Free. It was the perfect distraction to the craziness going on in the real world. I loved getting a behind the scenes look at an amusement park. And I really liked seeing Annie with her friends. She was pretty much on her own in the last book, so I was glad to see some of her friends show up. A lot happens in this book and one of those things is major. It's sure have some far-reaching consequences. I'm very eager to find out what happens next.
NOTE: This book does contain some strong language.