Seanan McGuire’s “InCryptid” series just keeps getting better, her world-building more detailed, and her characters growing and changing as they struggle against inner as well as outer demons. Antimony Price comes from a family of cryptozoologists, dedicated to the study, protection, and sometimes containment of “incryptids,” creatures like Bigfoot, but who live disguised as humans. The last episode, Magic for Nothing, sent Antimony undercover, infiltrating the Covenant of St. George (yes, the dragonslayer), whose aim is the destruction of all incryptids, no matter how benign. While in disguise and investigating a traveling carnival, she met Sam, a trapeze artist whose natural form resembles a graceful simian. Sparrow Hill Road, a related novel, introduced us to the world of road ghosts, crossroads bargains, and route-witches, many of which play crucial roles in this new novel.

Now, at the beginning of Tricks for Free, Antimony is on the run from the Covenant and hiding from her family. As she says:

I never wanted my life to be a wacky sitcom about a human girl and her inhuman roommates struggling to get by at what many people consider to be the second-happiest place in the world.

She’s taken a job working for Lowryland, a not-quite-second-rate Disneyland. Sharing an employer-provided apartment are her friends Fern (a sylf capable of altering her physical density), who enacts one of the many Fairyland princesses, and Megan, a (Pliny’s) gorgon, who in real life is a medical resident. In between the byzantine company politics, trying to stay off the Covenant’s radar and also to not burn down the theme park with her increasingly erratic ability to set fires, Antimony unearths a secret cabal of witches and sorcerers bent upon harvesting the good luck of the patrons to boost their own power. Things go awry as one terribly unlucky accident leads to another. Then Sam shows up, as well as various ghostly aunts, and the plot races right along.

McGuire writes complex, interconnected series in which every (or almost every) volume stands on its own, fast-paced, absorbing, and satisfying. She weaves in backstory and setting with such a deft touch that the reader is neither baffled nor inundated by chunks of indigestible exposition. Although I had read Magic for Nothing and Sparrow Hill Road fairly recently and enjoyed the references, I think Tricks for Free would work just as well as an introduction. So even if you’re new to the delights of the InCryptid and road ghost worlds, dive right in for a great read.

McGuire always ups the stakes in her incryptid series, this time setting the action at a theme park that's secretly being run by a cabal of sorcerers. There's plenty of great world-building, lots of humor and action, and awesome characters. This is a fantastic series!

This is another great episode in one of my all-time favorite series. Seanan McGuire never disappoints!

After the last installment in this series, I wasn't sure if I'd pick up the next. I'm glad I did - would recommend.

Antimony “Annie” Price needs a bit of luck. Fleeing from the Covenant of St. George after her undercover assignment took an unexpected turn, she abandons her family, friends, her boyfriend, and even the Aeslin mice in hopes to avoid capture. Using an old identity, Melody West, she applies for a job at Lowryland Amusement Park. She expects to work hard while she figures out how to recover her life while avoiding the Covenant. What she doesn’t expect is the strange series of misfortunes that begin plaguing Lowryland or the cabal of magic users operating behind the scenery. What kind of mess has Antimony gotten herself into? And is there a safe way out?

TRICKS FOR FREE is the seventh book in the <i>InCryptid</i> series and wow, this series only gets better and better! Better yet, the storyline is set near my hometown and features a funky amusement park, perfect for a city on the I-4 corridor of Florida. Seanan McGuire provides most of the back history but readers new to the series might want to read the prior book, MAGIC FOR NOTHING, to better understand the character of Antimony and why she is on the run.

Annie really comes into her own in TRICKS FOR FREE. Earlier books in the series featured her older siblings who painted a less than likable portrait of Annie. In MAGIC FOR NOTHING, we start to see her character emerge but in TRICKS FOR FREE she takes on a much more heroic status and you can final see how she fits into the Price legacy. In fact, Annie may well be my favorite Price sibling after TRICKS FOR FREE!

And oh, the Aeslin mice! I dearly missed their involvement in TRICKS FOR FREE but Seanan McGuire includes a short story about their own escape, told partially from their own perspective. I still miss the Aeslin mice, however, and am hopeful we will see Annie and her mice reunited in future books in the series.

TRICKS FOR FREE is yet another spectacular offering from the talented Seanan McGuire. I love that the <i>InCryptid</i> world continues to expand as we learn more about the various beings who inhabit Seanan McGuire’s carefully crafted world. I can’t wait to see where this series takes us next!

*review is in the editing queue at Fresh Fiction*

Tricks for Free follows Antimony after her debacle in the prior book, and she's now in hiding in Loweryland, a Disney World type of theme park. Antimony's days are exhausting, mentally and physically, but she always has time to skate. One of those skating jaunts leads Antimony and friends to a body, which is followed by other disasters. It seems Loweryland is having an unlikely series of accidents. Antimony has to figure out who is responsible and why, all the time hiding from the Covenant and keeping her fire powers secret.

Tricks for Free is the seventh book in the InCryptid series by Seanan McGuire. Antimony Price aka Melody West is in Florida working at a busy amusement park, Lowryland, that is in direct competition with Disney. How did she get here? Why is she here? And why is she alone? Something went south with the Covenant and now they are chasing after her. The amusement park seems like the perfect place to hide out. So many people would make it hard for them to track her.

Still, there are unexpected occurrences. She is rooming with a sylph and a gorgon. She is scorching her sheets at night with the fire she is trying to control. Someone wants to teach her to control her fire and she jumps at the chance. Then bad accidents in the park start to occur. What or who is causing them? Annie works at resolving the issues and finding a way to return to the family fold.

This is my first Seanan McGuire novel. And it wasn't a bad place to start. It certainly whets my appetite for more in the series. And I will be checking out her other series as well.

The characters in the novel are interesting. Those closest to Annie are the most well developed. I want to know more about them as well. I find especially interesting her former babysitter, a crossroads ghost, who pops in and out pretty much at will.

There is enough background given to follow the action quite well and to see what lead Annie to the predicament she finds herself in. You could read this as a standalone, but you will probably want to read the sequel as well as some of the earlier books in the series.

The plot moves along at a good pace. I found it a little slow in the beginning, but that was because things were being established that the rest of the book would depend on. It didn't slow me down or make me stop reading. It was just something that I noted. As the book progresses, the pace picks up.

There's a short story at the end of the book. It works well and brings up what happened to her mice and what happened to her boyfriend after the end of the previous book. It's interesting and I enjoyed it. I was not familiar with Aeslin mice and it was nice to get to know them even in such a brief time.

I give this novel 4 out of 5 stars. It's well-written. The characters are interesting. The pace is good. I would definitely recommend this series to fans of urban fantasy. I will be reading more books by this author.

Tricks for Free by Seanan McGuire is going to be released March 6, 2018 from DAW Books.

Seanan McGuire is a Washington State-based author. The October Daye novels are her first urban fantasy series, and the InCryptid novels are her second series, both of which have put her on the New York Times bestseller list. She is the first person to be nominated for five Hugo Awards in a single year. You can find out more about her and her books on her website here.

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley. All opinions herein are my own and freely given.

Tricks For Free Book Review
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Antimony Price is on the run. With the Covenant on her tail and her family still in danger, she needs to get far, far away from anyone who might recognize her including her own mice. For the first time in a long time, a Price is flying without a safety net. Where do you go when you need to disappear into a crowd without worrying about attracting attention? An amusement park, of course.Some people would call Lowryland the amusement park. It’s one of the largest in Florida, the keystone of the Lowry entertainment empire…but for Annie, it’s a place to hide. She’s just trying to keep her head down long enough to come up with a plan that will get her home without getting anyone killed. No small order when she’s rooming with gorgons and sylphs, trying to placate frustrated ghosts, and rushing to get to work on time. Then the accidents begin. The discovery of a dead man brings Annie to the attention of the secret cabal of magic users running Lowryland from behind the scenes. They want the fire that sleeps in her fingers. They want her on their side. They want to help her—although their help, like everything else, comes with a price. No plan. Minimal backup. No way out. Annie’s about to get a crash course in the reality behind the pretty facade. If she’s lucky, she’ll survive the experience.

This was the first book I read, the seventh in the series, and I never once felt lost. It is definitely a stand alone novel, and the refresher course on past events never felt heavy handed.The world building was great, and the main characters were well fleshed out. Lowryland felt like a real place, and all of Antimony’s relationships were developed. I believed the characters would risk life and limb for each other.

However, I wish more time was spent with Antimony learning to control her magic. A teacher was introduced and there was one scene, but that was it. Considering learning and getting control of her powers was important to her it seems like there should’ve been more time spent with her learning and less bored at her job. The villains could’ve used some work too. I realize people do just want “more” but actual motivations would’ve been nice. The big reveal of who the bad guys were fell flat. Those characters were an afterthought, so finding out what they were up to also felt that way. Also everyone is hiding from the Covenant, so it seemed like the villains should’ve been a little more stealth with their deeds and concerned with exposure. If a gang of misfits could figure out what was up, it seems like a multinational organization bent on destroying the supernatural would’ve had alarm bells go off. That being said I really like Antimony and I will definitely be reading the next book in the series.

Thanks to Netgalley for providing an ARC of this book, in exchange for a fair and honest review.

To start off with all honesty, I have read and enjoyed pretty much everything written by Seanan McGuire/Mira Grant. But for pure fun, the InCryptid Series is something special.

The latest in the series, Tricks for Free, is no less fun. But it's a little different - and I think it's because the series is developing. For one thing, with first Magic for Nothing and now the latest entry, we're focusing on Antimony, and she's isolated from the rest of the family. Aunt Mary is really the only one who can keep in touch with her. Not that she doesn't have friends and allies - but now they're all various cryptids, not her family.

For an even bigger difference, no Aeslin mice along with her! I missed them - they've rapidly become my favorites. Although we don't lose out on them completely - at the end of the book is a bonus novella, relating Mindy and Mork's journey back to Portland after the events of Magic for Nothing

But another interesting thing (and maybe I've just been slow to catch on) is how much I'm seeing the treatment of cryptids as somewhat a metaphor for the treatment of others from groups that are discriminated against/less favored in the US. It's not heavy handed but there were definitely points when I stopped and said hmmmmmm..............

And, playing against stereotypes, was the intro from Antimony's high school cheerleading history - the captain of the squad was just not having any mean girls on the squad - I liked that.

Antimony also seems to be growing up a bit, moving beyond the sullen teenager obsessed by her jealousy/resentment of her older brother and especially sister.

So, a lot to like here, and I like the fact that the series seems to be developing. But, for all of this analysis, it all just sneaked up on me - bottom line is that this book is a lot of fun to read! (less)

No spoilers for this installment, but may be minor spoilers for previous books. This is a brand new book; spoiling it would be rude.

Discussion: 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.

Bonus!

At the end of the novel, a sweet treat awaits! Those who support McGuire via Patreon got to read about how Annie’s mice, Mork and Mindy, navigated their way to the plane that would take them home to the rest of the Price clan. For those who aren’t patrons, rejoice! “The Recitation of the Most Holy and Harrowing Pilgrimage of Mindy and Also Mork” is included here. For years, readers clamored for a story about the Aeslin mice. Well, readers, here you go. Grab some tissues. The Aeslin mice are far more serious and tragic than you first believe them to be. This is the story that explains why.

This novella also gives us some time with Sam, Annie’s almost-not-quite-but-maybe boyfriend and what’s going on with him and the rest of his circus family after the events of Magic For Nothing. If you didn’t like Sam before, I am confident that you will change your mind after hearing his side of the story.

In conclusion: This is a great addition to the existing series. I was glued to the book until I finished. I wasn’t so sure that I actually liked Antimony that much after Magic For Nothing. Watching her grow up in this novel vastly changed my opinion of her. I hope that you enjoy this installment as much as I did.

This felt a bit like a filler book. It was well-written and action packed, but lagged in spots and no real resolution to her situation. Frankly if the next book doesn't move it along it will be my last one read in the series. I still gave it 4 stars though for the slight resolution of the love story angle. At least that was a plot development! However, the next one really needs to have something more than the same ole' same. Even the theme park aspect wasn't enough to "save" it. That said it was still engaging and the author is a talented tale teller.

This is the seventh book in the InCryptid series a was a wonderful continuation of the InCryptid series. This book continues to follow Antimony Price and her adventures.

While Antimony isn't my favorite character follow in this series, I did think this was the best book about her yet and I really, really enjoyed it. We finally get to see more of Antimony’s magic and watch as she struggles to learn to control it.

I loved the new characters introduced; Annie’s roommates are a slyph and a gorgon and both were highly entertaining. I loved the mystery, the plot, and the deep dive into amusement park life. I also really enjoyed all the luck magic that comes into play.

This book ties in with Sparrow Hill Road some; Rose is in the story a bit and there is a lot of discussion about the Crossroads and those that make deals at them. I assume some of this will tie into the second book of The Ghost Roads series, The Girl in the Green Silk Gown, which is supposed to release in July 2018. I loved learning more about the Crossroads as well.

McGuire always does an excellent job of balancing world-building, engaging characters, action, and mystery. She is amazingly talented and writes stories that are smart, entertaining, and highly creative. She continues to be one of my favorite authors.

Overall this was an amazing continuation of the InCryptid series. I still love the October Daye series more than this one, but the InCryptids series is nearly as good. I will definitely be picking up the next Ghost Roads books and continue to look forward to new books in both the October Daye and the InCryptid series.

TRICKS FOR FREE, the seventh book in the InCryptid series continues this series' trend of high adventure, exciting storylines, and unique worldbuilding. I am constantly impressed how each book comes off as fresh and full of thrilling plots, thought-provoking social commentary, with warm bonds of friendship and family at their core. I'm never bored reading these books! TRICKS FOR FREE continues Antimony's adventure and I absolutely love the detailed description and backstory of Lowryland -a low rent Disney World- which she finds herself working in (and which I kind of want to go to). The plot is mostly a very grisly mystery and a coming to terms story in regards to Antimony's magic and the tough choices she has to make.

Since Antimony has actual magic abilities we get introduced to some more kinds of magic users that exist in this world and fun magic infused fights. One thing I like about these books is how human the Price family is in that they make really dumb mistakes that really anyone could make, except Antimony's mistake ends up having really bad consequences. Also, unlike her older siblings, she is still learning who she is and it's really neat to be able to watch her grow up into an awesome adult member of the Price family. I liked all of the secondary characters including Antimony's roommates who were a fun addition to this story as they brought much of the humor to this story.

The InCryptid series continues to be storytelling at it's best. TRICKS FOR FREE sends us on a rollercoaster of emotions and thrills with its engaging plot and ever expanding and fascinating world.

I gave it 3.5 stars

TRICKS FOR TRADE was a bit slow in the beginning. Antimony finds herself isolated after the events of MAGIC FOR NOTHING force her into hiding. On her own she has to find a way to make money so she can eat and sleep somewhere other than the side of the road. Lowryland might not be the circus, but a chance encounter with someone from her past gets her a job there. Unfortunately she might not be as safe there as she expected.

A lot happens in TRICKS FOR TRADE. It's all connected, but a lot of crap falls on Annie's shoulders. Thankfully she doesn't find herself as alone as she expected. I really enjoyed the introduction of the new characters that are now a part of Annie's 'crew'.

One thing that doesn't happen is anything having to do with the Covenant of St. George storyline. Having it so heavy in the last book and not having anything happen with it in TRICKS FOR FREE was a little odd. I also realllllly missed the mice.

I still find her relationship with Sam a little weird. I'm just not in love with 'them' and it makes it hard to really get into those parts of the story.

I can't say that Antimony is my favorite Price sibling, but I still enjoy reading about her adventures. Having said that, I wouldn't be disappointed if there wasn't a lot more books with her as the main character unless something drastic happens. I guess we will see what comes next.

* This book was provided free of charge from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Tricks for Free is the seventh entry in the InCryptid series and one of my favorites, in spite of the novel’s lack of Aeslin mice. (Aeslin Mice fans, take heart! Included with this novel is the account of Mindy and Mork’s perilous journey back to the Price compound, following Annie’s difficult decision to send them home at the conclusion of Magic for Nothing, in a story previously only available to McGuire’s Patreon supporters.)

Over the course of the first six books we’ve gotten to know the three Price siblings and Antimony, the youngest, has in many ways become my favorite. Magic for Nothing and Tricks for Free have the feel of a bildungsroman, offering us the account of how Antimony grew up, stopped resenting her siblings, learned to graciously accept help from friends and loved ones, and learned not to hate her magic. Annie is wildly brave, deciding at the conclusion of the previous book that the best way to keep her family safe is to run, cut off all family contact, and hide from the Covenant of St. George. Now if you’re looking for a great place to hide, you know it would be natural for Seanan McGuire to think of a theme park, Disneyland fan that she is. Rather than going for the Mouse, Antimony goes to work at the fictional Lowryland, to lay low, and rooms with a former Slasher Chicks roller derby friend, Fern, a sylph, and new-found friend Megan, a medical resident who just happens to be a Pliny’s gorgon, both of whom work for Lowryland. (In Megan’s case, its hospital.) Of course you know it’s all going to go haywire. This is Annie Price we’re talking about, and where Prices tread/roll, action always follows.

With murders, cabals, explosions, parade disasters, near drownings, Aunt Mary and Aunt Rose (yes, that Rose, Rose Marshall, the girl in the diner, the girl in the green silk dress, the phantom prom date...), a jink named Cylia, and (heart-swell) a fûri named Sam, Annie is going to sort out Lowryland’s problems like any child of the Price family would be expected to. With knives.

We learn quite a bit more about the Crossroads in this book, and get a bit of a hint about the fate of Thomas Price, Annie’s missing grandfather, who bargained with the Crossroads. (I am still hoping Alice will be able to find and rescue Thomas.) We also learn how Crossroads bargains are made if you’re lucky to have Mary Dunlavy as your advocate. The subtle differences between the rules observed by Mary and Rose are explored in somewhat greater depth in this book.

All in all a very satisfying entry in the InCryptid series! Bring on the recitation of the mice! Hail!

I received a Digital Review Copy of this book from DAW and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Tricks for Free, by author Seanan McGuire, is the seventh book in the InCryptid urban fantasy series. The series features the Price family, an eccentric group of cryptozoologists who safeguard the world of magical creatures living in secret among humans. Tricks for Free once again features the youngest Price, Antimony who was last seen escaping the Covenant of St. George (Magic for Nothing) and leaving her new "friend" Sam Taylor and her Aeslin Mice, Mindy and Mork, behind to their own adventures which you can read about in the back of this novel.

As the story picks up, Annie is living under an old alias, Melody West. She has traveled to Florida where she gets a job working for Lowryland thanks to a former high school cheerleader friend. Annie/Melody basically does everything except be one of the princesses that the park features. Some people would call Lowryland the amusement park. It’s one of the largest in Florida, the keystone of the Lowry entertainment empire…but for Annie, it’s a place to hide. She’s just trying to keep her head down long enough to come up with a plan that will get her home without getting anyone killed.

Annie has a familiar friend as a roommate, Fern Conway (a sylph cryptid), who knows who Annie really is. Her other roommate is a Megan Rodriguez (phiny gorgon cryptid) who is a medical student. As I am sure you are aware by reading the previous installment, Annie has also been a Roller Derby Girl alongside Fern and another character who appears later in the story, Cylia Mackie. I adored both Fern and Cylia and do hope they continue to make an appearance in any future Antimony novel. It's interesting to note that because of her rollerblading in the park with Fern, trouble rears its ugly head.

The discovery of a dead man brings her to the attention of a Cabal of magic users running Lowryland from behind the scenes. They claim to know about her fire abilities. They claim to want to train her. They claim to want her on their side. But, Annie knows that anything that is too obvious, definitely comes with a price. This is when so called accidents start to happen throughout the park. Annie and her allies, which now includes the before mentioned Sam Taylor, who is basically a monkey, must deal with the cabal and protect innocent lives before the cabal escalates their end game to its conclusion.

One of the more steadier characters in Annie's stories has been Mary Dunlavy who died at the same time as Rose Marshall which you can read about in the Ghost Roads series by the same author. Mary is a crossroads ghost, but she also stands as the Price family "babysitter." We also get a glimpse of what the crossroads really is and why nobody should ever, ever go there for any reason. Rose also makes a brief appearance just to make things interesting. Was her appearance necessary? Probably not. But it goes to show the extent of how far the Price family reach really extends.

Let's talk about my letdowns. I don't like Sam. I think he and Annie don't belong together no matter how much it appears it's going to be that way whether or not I like it. I think sex with what's basically an animal is disturbing. It has reached the point in today's society where anything is acceptable and anything goes. Sorry folks, I won't ever feel comfortable with anyone having sex with any sort of animals. I missed the Aeslin Mice! I dare say that I would have preferred if Mindy and Mork had found a way to get back to Annie, instead of making their way back home to Oregon.

I do recommend that you at least read Sparrow Hill Road by the same author to understand who Rose Marshall is and why the author choose to use her in this story. Rose is a curious sort, that's for sure. Rose's second novel releases in the summer of this year. Speaking of Mork and Mindy, there is a short story in the back of the book that chronicles their adventure of having Sam drop them off at the airport, and then finding a way home. Of course, it also includes Sam, and Mary Dunlavy who really has become an important cog in this series.

Apparently, things get interesting from her according to all the posts I have read on Goodreads and elsewhere. Publisher wants another Annie book. Book # 8 will be called That Ain't Witchcraft. After that, it's supposed to be Sarah and then Alice who has been searching for her husband all over hell's half acre

The thing I really like about Seanan McGuire is - she is different. I might not always be completely into everything she is writing, but as an author I think she takes chances and delves into topics other authors shy away from. For instance, in this book alone, there are Ghosts of various shapes and sizes, Witches, Humanoid Creatures that are definitely not human, A Non-Disney Theme Park and just to top it all off Roller Derby Girls.

Antimony Price is a Cryptozoologist from a long like of Cryptozoologists. What that means is she hunts monsters and things that go bump in the night. Not to kill them; some of them are really nice, but mostly to study them. The killing comes only if necessary. She is currently in hiding and laying low at an Amusement Park from the Covenant, a band of fanatics that kills all the things Antimony is trying to study, and the rest of her family, since they defected a few generations back.

This is book seven of the Incryptid series and there is no way you can go into it without reading the others and know what is going on. I think this is a series that even though the main characters change each story builds into the next.

Antimony is actually one of my least favorites characters of the Price family (even though I really like the first book with her as the MC) and I really enjoyed both Verity and Alex’s books although the book I’m totally waiting for is Alice’s since she has been looking for her true love Thomas for 60+ years. The one issue I have with this entire book is that this felt like a filler book. Honestly it just killed some time and one really ‘big thing’ happens at the end but I kinda got the feeling this book was just to facilitate that ‘big thing’ happening so other stories could move on from there.

This is my least favorite book of the series so far but that is mostly because Antimony is pretty isolated and on her own, no Aeslin Mice with her either. Some of the magic of the other books is the Price family and all the shenanigans that go along with them. While Mary, a Crossroads ghost, can be a bit fun she isn’t the rest of the quirky Price family and I found myself really wanting some time with Verity, Alex, Grandma Alice, Sarah or the Aeslin Mice even.

I was happy to see Sam and a few other characters that were in Antimony’s short stories like Fern, a sylph criptid, but this book suffered a little from info dumping in a few sections and had a few pacing issues throughout.

Still McGuire did come through on the unusual and interesting in trying out a few new things in her story including luck manipulation, fighting on roller skates and a monkey man boyfriend. I look forward to the next book in this series and what new and interesting plot lines it will bring.


Notable Quotables:

“Ain’t no party like a pity party, because a pity party only ends when you bury the bastards who made you feel sorry for yourself.”
–Frances Brown




“Huh,” said Fern. She paused before asking, more delicately, “Has he actually met you when you were being you, or did he only ever meet you when you were pretending to be somebody else? Because you can be really sweet when you’re pretending to be somebody else.”
I threw a biscuit at her. Fern laughed as she dodged.
“You’re only angry because it’s true.”
--Fern and Antimony Price




“Whoever he is, marry him and keep us in the style to which we’d like to become accustomed.”
“He works in Public Relations.”
“Whoever he is, murder him and make it look like an accident, but make sure you get away with his wallet,” Megan amended.
-- Anitmony Priceand Gorgon friend Megan

I really like this series and I was eager to discover another of the novels. Besides, I was very happy to see that we were once again following Antimony because I loved having her as the main character in the previous volume. And then after all the events, I wanted to know how this young woman was going to act!

Annie is on the run, she knows that finding her family would put them in danger. So to try to blend in, she decides to go to work in one of the largest amusement parks where she can evolve without being noticed. But now, it seems that the place is not as safe as she thought. When terrible and oddly accidents happen, Annie is always present and she begins to wonder what exactly is going on. In addition, it seems that a cabal who manages the park is aware of her gifts. They offer to help her, to teach her how to use her talent without danger. Annie can only accept that but at what price?

It was a new very nice volume even if I admit that I really preferred the precedent one. Antimony tries at best to act even if it’s not easy for her. We will discover some of her friends and I admit that I was really delighted to meet Sam over the course of the story. It is a character that I appreciate very much. I wonder how our heroine will manage the next events because she goes again to new adventures! Once again, Seanan McGuire offers us a great story!

Antimony, Annie, Price is on the run hiding from her enemies and her family. If she went to her family the Covenant could use her magical signature to find them. Her only chance. Find a massively populated area and hope it masks her magic. What better place then one of the happiest places on earth…a Florida amusement park.

Little did she know that the amusement park is ran but a magic using cabal, just waiting to use Annie for their own means. To top it off, horrific accidents have begun to happen and Annie can’t help but think they are all centering around her because she is at the scene each accident has taken place.

Annie must do what she does best, jump right in head first without a plan in sight and let the chips end where they may…

McGuire imagination is amazing. We are now 7 into the InCryptid series and its still as original, fresh, exciting and new as the when we finished DISCOUNT ARMAGEDDON back in 2012. Strong characters, heartfelt friendships and a plot with back bone.

I received this ARC copy of Tricks for Free from Berkley Publishing Group. This is my honest and voluntary review. Tricks for Free is set for publication Mar. 6, 2018.

My Rating: 5 stars
Written by: Seanan McGuire
Series: InCryptid (Book 7)
Mass Market Paperback: 432 pages
Publisher: DAW
Publication Date: March 6, 2018
ISBN-10: 0756410401
ISBN-13: 978-0756410407
Genre: Urban Fantasy

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