Half-Off Ragnarok (InCryptid, #3)

by Seanan McGuire

The third book in New York Times-bestselling Seanan McGuire's witty urban fantasy InCryptid series about a family of cryptozoologists who act as a buffer between humans and the magical creatures living in secret around us.

"The only thing more fun than an October Daye book is an InCryptid book." —Charlaine Harris, #1 New York Times-bestselling author of Sookie Stackhouse series

Cryptid, noun: Any creature whose existence has not yet been proven by science. See also "monster."

Cryptozoologist, noun: Any person who thinks hunting for cryptids is a good idea. See also "idiot."

What do gorgons, basilisks, and frogs with feathers all have in common? They're all considered mythological by modern science, and some people are working very hard to keep them that way.

Alexander Price is a member of a cryptozoological lineage that spans generations, and it's his job to act as a buffer between the human and cryptid worlds—not an easy task when you're dealing with women who has snakes in place of hair, little girls who may actually be cobras, and brilliant, beautiful Australian zookeepers. And then there's the matter of the murders...

Alex thought he was choosing the easier career when he decided to specialize in non-urban cryptids, leaving the cities to his little sister, Verity. He had no idea what he was letting himself in for. It's a family affair, and everyone—from his reanimated grandfather to his slightly broken telepathic cousin—is going to find themselves drawn in before things get any better.

• ISBN10: 0756408113
• ISBN13: 9780756408114
• Publish Date: 4 March 2014
• Publish Status: Active
• Publish Country: US
• Publisher: Penguin Putnam Inc
• Imprint: DAW Books
• Format: Paperback (US Mass Market)
• Pages: 368
• Language: English
• URL: https://penguinrandomhouse.com/books/isbn/9780756408114

Reviews

[Quirky Cat]

Half-Off Ragnarok is the third novel in Seanan McGuire's InCryptid series, a series that I've fallen in love with over the course of just a few days. Yes, that does mean that I only recently got into this series, and that thought fills me with regret. The InCryptid series have made their way to the top of my favorites list, and I'm only three books in!

Alex Price is a cryptozoologist and one that comes from a famous (infamous) family. So it's safe to say he's used to dealing with the weirder things life tends to throw his way. For example, he's currently moved out of state to run a basilisk breeding program – something he wanted to do, and was not forced to do.

What he wasn't hoping for was a sudden increase in the bodies at his place of work – a local zoo. Worse, his girlfriend works there, and that means she's at risk as well. If that wasn't bad enough – the bodies are being partially turned to stone. Making this squarely Alex's problem.

“Being smart isn't good enough. You need to be educated, and you need to be open-minded, and you need to remember that what you don't know can most definitely hurt you.”

She's done it again! Half-Off Ragnarok is another thrilling and entertaining read. While I adored Verity's perspective, I'll admit that it is pretty refreshing to see how the rest of her family operates in the world of Cryptids.

As it turns out, Alex is about as different from Verity as one can get. That's not really a surprise – we were already told all of this. But there's a difference between knowing and seeing, as evidenced by this book.
In a lot of ways, I actually think I appreciated Alex's perspective more. If only because it's easy to picture myself being the nerdy (and conservationist) one in this family. Throwing in his coworkers, family (we get to see more of them!), and the zoo itself, and I was captivated.

“ALL GLORY TO THE SCIENCE RULES OF SCIENCE!”

Okay, the Aeslin mice and their presence didn't hurt things either. I adore those little guys. Seeing them from Alex's perspective was a bit of a shift, since his relationship with the colony is very different by the nature of their interpretation of the Price family.

This was a fast-paced read, and I'm not just saying that because I refused to put it down. There's always something going on, and it feels like Alex spends a lot more time trying to save his bacon than the typical scientist, and I love it. I'm so thrilled that the next book (Pocket Apocalypse) will also be following Alex's perspective. I can't wait to start reading! (Okay, that's a lie, I totally already started. Sorry. Not sorry.)
 

[MurderByDeath]

These books always start off so slow for me, and this one felt especially so.  I suppose the author might have felt as though she needed to do a bit of world building with the change of character.  Whatever the case, Alex’s story dragged in spite of some cryptid action early on in the first half.

Fortunately, I liked Alex, and I was interested enough in Sarah’s recovery after book 2 to keep on.  Which became more important as I failed to find anything interesting or authentic about Shelby, Alex’s romantic interest.  Partly because, living in Australia, I was looking for the “Aussie-ness” of her personality, and it never appeared.  In the acknowledgements, the author thanked someone for keeping her from making Shelby a cliché, which  I can wholly appreciate wanting to avoid, as well as how easily it might be to fall into that trap.  But I think her advisor might have over-compensated (and failed to catch that it’s the Great Ocean Road, not highway).  Most Aussies aren’t Crocodile Dundee, or Steve Irwin, but they do have a unique character, and Shelby didn’t have it.  Though my favorite quote of the book was:

“Pretty sure that ship has sailed,” said Shelby, who was eyeing the nearby foliage with trepidation, as if she expected it to attack at any moment.  Then again, she came from Australia: she probably did expect some sort of vegetable ambush.

(Australia.  The only continent designed with a difficulty rating of  “ha ha fuck you no.”)

After about the first half, the story started to stand on its own legs.  Shelby never really got off the ground for me, but the rest of the story coalesced into something moderately interesting.  The plot was well crafted, but it just didn’t have any oomph, for me.  As always though, the presence of the Aeslin mice, and in this case, Angela Baker, made up for a lot.

I have the second of Alex’s books, and I’ll read it – it takes place in Australia, and it will be interesting to see of the author writes the characters any more authentically on the second try.

[kimbacaffeinate]

I have to say I am impressed. Not only did McGuire change locations, taking us from Manhatten to Ohio, she also gave us a new POV, that of Alex Price, Verity's brother. I was worried about the change of POV. It isn't something one traditionally sees in urban fantasy, but damn if she didn't pull it off. I love how fresh this series is, and the paranormal "cryptid" creatures are living amongst humans. 

Alex lives with his (non-related) grandparents, as they take care of his cousin Sarah (again non-related). Both Sarah and his grandmother are cuckoos. Sarah is recovering from events in Manhatten. As for Alex's grandfather, well I will let you discover more about him for yourself. Alex works under an alias and is a researcher at the Ohio Zoo. He secretly studies local cryptids and oversees a basilisk breeding program. Shelby Tanner, an Australian zoologist who works with the big cats and is currently dating Alex.  Alex struggles to keep his work as a cryptozoologist secret, so the relationship hasn't progressed. However, all that is about to change and oh boy do things get interesting.

Each book/audio in the series deals with a mystery or dangerous situations surrounding the cryptids.  Half-Off Ragnarok shares a suspenseful murder-mystery. Someone or something is petrifying people. If Alex doesn't solve the mystery soon, it might draw the attention of the Covenant of St. George, a group that cleanses the Earth of cryptids,  or worse he and Shelby may end up dead.  McGuire is a masterful storyteller with a never-ending source of imagination, and she presented quite a tale.

From the Aeslin Mice to Alex's unusual pet, and his gorgon assistant I enjoyed listening. There was humor, fleshed out characters, and scary situation. Alex is very different from Verify and has his geek-on. He cares about his family, gets excited by scientific discovery and can be kickass when necessary. Ray Porter narrates, and Emily Bauer has parts throughout. Ray's performance of Alex was delightful. He captured Alex's emotions, personality and enhanced the overall story. This review was originally posted at Caffeinated Reviewer

[Heather]

This book moves the action to Australia. It is nice to see how the author imagines a different ecosystem and what cryptids evolved there.
There was a lot of "Daddy threatens the boyfriend for sleeping with the daughter" trope which I absolutely hate. The characters try to diffuse it but it doesn't work. I could have done without all that.
I did miss the rest of the Price family in this one. Hopefully they come back in the next books.This review was originally posted on Based On A True Story