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A review by kitty_whimsical
Tricks for Free by Seanan McGuire
5.0
full review published at speculativechic.com (http://speculativechic.com/2018/03/06/next-stop-lowryland-seanan-mcguires-tricks-for-free/)
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.
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.