lundi 2 mai 2016

Half-Off Ragnarok( InCryptid 3 ) by Seanan Mcguire

Hello to all!

 May is there with the sun to make things easier for everyone ( people sound happier when it's sunny don't you think?) so a new month but not a new series to start it. As i told you  i'm enjoying the InCryptid universe quite a lot lately between the novellas and the novel so i opted to stay a little longer in it while i could.

Today i offer you my opinion on the 3rd novel "Half-off Ragnarok".

Happy reading!


Publisher: Daw
Publication: 2014
ISBN:  0756408113
Genre: Urban fantasy
Violence: mild
Language: mild
sex: mild
Public: 18+

Source: gifted


Short description from goodreads :

When Alex Price agreed to go to Ohio to oversee a basilisk breeding program and assist in the recovery of his psychic cousin, he didn't expect people to start dropping dead. But bodies are cropping up at the zoo where he works, and his girlfriend—Shelby Tanner, an Australian zoologist with a fondness for big cats—is starting to get suspicious.

Worse yet, the bodies have all been turned partially to stone...

The third book in the InCryptid series takes us to a new location and a new member of the family, as Alex tries to balance life, work, and the strong desire not to become a piece of garden statuary. Old friends and new are on the scene, and danger lurks around every corner.


Of course, so do the talking mice.



My opinion:
          I was a bit hesitant to read this book because the author  focus on another member of the Price family as the main character and i was quite fond of Verity. The universe is obviously the same and the story is wonderfully written but it took me a moment to warm up to Alex...
Alex is a Price so danger isn't new to him but he is also a scientist so his persona is calmer, more discreet than his sister's.

I particularly loved his miniature griffin: Crow.... this one is a side character i would be glad to learn more about as i do wonder how Alex got him and how he managed to make it accept the Aeslin mice without wanting to make them his snack^^  so yes it's a call for a free short story/ novella about that time

But let's go back to the present and Alex's adventures. Working in a zoo in theOhio to work in secret on some cryptids projects ( like  breeding basilisks), Alex is going out  with a colleague, newly  arrived like him but from AustraliaShelby. Alex works with reptiles, his lifetime passion ( oki perhaps it was one of the reason i wasn't too fond of him at first^^) , Shelby is working on the big cats, felines.
However, Alex is far, far from the perfect boyfriend for sure and Shelby isn't enjoying being left down on several occasion.

The truth is that Alex has a lot on his plate, his "official" job at the zoo, his secret projects, and helping his family. He is living with his grandparents and Sarah which if you have followed the series has been deeply hurt and now need constant care. I loved how loyal he was to his family and how a bad boyfriend he was because of lack of time and secret, that made him quite cute.

Shelby is a strong mind for sure, very independent, speaking her mind and afraid of few things ( looks like Australia is a very, very dangerous place to live in this universe).She can be quite commanding when she wants attention but also be very patient and gentle when taking care of the felines and other animals.

Their relationship was really funny and they made excellent partners.

The plot and investigation was as each time captivating and very enjoyable with the right amount of humour, action and suspense. I love to see all the creatures and discovering new ones each time. I do wonder though how the Price managed to make so many enemies and at the same have a lot of allies , which don't always trust them fully either. At time i admire them because it would have been so easy just  to let them be and not taking risk for them but it's not who the Price family is .

The author also make the links with some free short novella and with the precedents instalment, so we can easily keep the time line and see how everything is linked together, but taking place in different setting. Also, The grandparents, Martin and Angela are definitively some i want to read more about too^^ they are so funny (and terrific too)

This is an excellent story and since it's the beginning of a new cycle kind of way  you could i think start with this book and not feel lost at all but just for the pleasure i would recommend you to start with book 1 as you would get more of the Aeslin mice and those are irresistibly cute and funny. A great urban fantasy for sure!


Score:  4/5

Disclaimer: All opinions are my own and no compensation was received in exchange for this review


Challenges:
2015TBR



Do you sometimes enjoy to  follow a series back to back ( and novellas) without alternating with another series or authors or you prefer to change with each reads?

1 commentaire:

  1. Hi Miki,

    Oh the mice, they can be hilarious. I do like to read a series back to back, for two or three stories, then go to something else for a break. Since I follow so many with new releases coming out all the time, it's easy to have something new on my TBR mountain of books.

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