You need to sign in or sign up before continuing.
Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.81 AVERAGE
3.81 AVERAGE
First book in a new series. Great read. Wonderful world building and kooky characters. Looking forward to the next one.....
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Easiest comparison is to her October Daye series, which had a world that I was immediately and significantly more intrigued by. This world feels... flatter, even though the actual plot here was probably more interesting than the first handful of Daye installments. I'll give book #2 a shot.
Super fun and campy. My preferred type of urban fantasy
I'm a fan of Seanan McGuire. I think she is funny and imaginative and wildly talented. I love her October Daye novels, so I was uber-excited to see that she has another UF series. (Her horror-genre based books are still in my TBR file --- see Mira Grant --- shame on me for taking so long, but I'll get to them. Trust me.)
This book is a solid 4 to 4.5 stars any day of the week for me. But today, I'm rounding up and giving it 5 stars -- almost unheard of from me -- because I found it refreshingly original and fun.
I mean, really --- A heroine who kicks ass (nothing new there) who also happens to be a competitive ballroom dancer & cryptozoologist by day & a snarky cocktail waitress by night (a girl has to pay the bills), and whose favorite way to get around the city is by rooftop travel Pakour-style*. Come on people --- How often do you get a free-running, ballroom dancing, cryptozoologist as a main character? Throw in her interesting family (can't wait to see more of them in the next installments), her own personal cheer squad for flatmates (Hail, Aeslin mice!), and a slew of other interesting Cryptids and one handsome love-interest who stands for everything you hate ---- and you have yourself a very unique and fun read.
Plus, how often do you get to hear people make Land of the Lost references or say things like, "First we get loose, then we can think about internal organ haberdashery"? Not nearly enough, I say!!!
So... 5 stars!
My one negative would be that we are told the story takes place (largely) in Manhattan. I'm not a New Yorker, so what do I know? However, I didn't see it.
My biggest hope is that we see more of Verity's family in the next book. Perhaps the next book will revolve around a diff. family member. I have no idea. All I know is that I tend to love a lot of Seanan's characters and this book was no different --- so I look forward to meeting more characters & seeing character development in future installments to the series.
-----------------------------------------
* If you haven't heard of Pakour or free running - as some of the reviewers clearly have not - then look it up. I'm sure there are videos a plenty on YouTube. It's a real thing.
This book is a solid 4 to 4.5 stars any day of the week for me. But today, I'm rounding up and giving it 5 stars -- almost unheard of from me -- because I found it refreshingly original and fun.
I mean, really --- A heroine who kicks ass (nothing new there) who also happens to be a competitive ballroom dancer & cryptozoologist by day & a snarky cocktail waitress by night (a girl has to pay the bills), and whose favorite way to get around the city is by rooftop travel Pakour-style*. Come on people --- How often do you get a free-running, ballroom dancing, cryptozoologist as a main character? Throw in her interesting family (can't wait to see more of them in the next installments), her own personal cheer squad for flatmates (Hail, Aeslin mice!), and a slew of other interesting Cryptids and one handsome love-interest who stands for everything you hate ---- and you have yourself a very unique and fun read.
Plus, how often do you get to hear people make Land of the Lost references or say things like, "First we get loose, then we can think about internal organ haberdashery"? Not nearly enough, I say!!!
So... 5 stars!
My one negative would be that we are told the story takes place (largely) in Manhattan. I'm not a New Yorker, so what do I know? However, I didn't see it.
My biggest hope is that we see more of Verity's family in the next book. Perhaps the next book will revolve around a diff. family member. I have no idea. All I know is that I tend to love a lot of Seanan's characters and this book was no different --- so I look forward to meeting more characters & seeing character development in future installments to the series.
-----------------------------------------
* If you haven't heard of Pakour or free running - as some of the reviewers clearly have not - then look it up. I'm sure there are videos a plenty on YouTube. It's a real thing.
Silly. Light reading. Violent but not in a brutal way. Snarky, but not quite overbearing. Sex, but just barely off-screen. Inventive-ish. At least somewhat predictable. But just an enjoyable fast read. Interesting semi-cardboard semi-real characters. And lots of dancing though not much technically detailed. Did I mention the snark? 3.5 of 5.
adventurous
funny
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Well, that was a *lovely* change of pace, with excellent character development and a really nifty setting.