This one is amazing. It's the third Antimony book, and... all I can say is there's an amazing payoff that hit me right in the feels.

All of Seanan's books are fun, and I and my staff at The Portal Bookshop regularly get someone new hooked on the series

I read this series for the 2020 Hugo (Best Series) awards and felt it was the best of the nominated series, although I enjoyed the earlier short stories more than the 'modern times' stories.

Thank you for providing this book as part of the 2020 Hugo Awards Voter’s Packet (finalist for Best Series).

Listen, I long ago joined the church of Seanan McGuire, when I read Rosemary and Rue for the first time with Felicia Day's Vaginal Fantasy book club. From that moment on, I was completely hooked. Seanan has never failed me. So when this series was nominated for a Hugo and I received the first eight books in the series as part of my Hugo voter packet, I was beyond pleased. This series gives me the same warm and fuzzy feelings that I get when reading Toby Daye books, but just ever so slightly lighter and I love the kind of monster-of-the-week feeling. One of my favourite parts about this series is that we get to follow different characters, which I honestly was skeptical about when I first got to a book not from Verity's point of view. But it really widens the possibilities of the series. The Aeslin mice are my favourite. As always, the balance of character building and world building is pretty close to perfection.

When we get to the later books in the series, I think she straddles the line perfectly of reviewing what has happened previously in the series (a kind of "previously on" but for books) while also moving on with the series. If I wasn't reading them all in a row, I'm sure I would appreciate that even more, as so often I feel like I have to completely re-read a series in order to remind myself of what's happened before I read the newest installment, which tends to mean that i put off that reading.

Overall, really pleased to have finally started this new-to-me series from McGuire and equally pleased to look forward to future books to come.

"That Ain't Witchcraft" by Seanan McGuire is the 8th book in the InCryptid series. It is the 3rd book where Antimony Price is the protagonist. This book spent more time than previous books in the first few chapters to help bring new (or forgetful) readers up to speed. Once the preliminaries are out of the way, we can enjoy following Antimony and her friends as they settle down for a relaxing three month stay at a large rented New England house in New Gravesend, Maine. Of course, readers who have already read one of McGuire's InCryptid novels can predict that the stay can not be relaxing. Sure enough, between mysterious strangers in the dark woods, late night break-ins, threatening sorcerers, an aggressive small town chief of police, a near fatal crossbow attack by an rogue agent from the Covenant of Saint George, torture and murderous demands from the mysterious and untrustworthy crossroads, ghostnapping, time travel, planetary threats to the earth, and of course the lives of Antimony and her party being at risk, this novel certainly does not lack for adventure and excitement. In short, "That Ain't Witchcraft" is a thoroughly enjoyable novel!

After a slightly disappointing filler book, McGuire is back on form here in the InCryptid series with the last installment from Antimony's perspective for a while I suspect. It's also the last one I'll be able to read for a while as I got Kindle versions as part of the Hugo awards, and none of the later novels are available on Kindle in the UK yet. It's a pity, as the next one is from Sarah's perspective and I really, really want to read from the perspective of a cuckoo.

Still on the run from the Covenant, Antimony has her hands full as she's on the run with a small group of cryptid friends. As per the norm for the Price family though, even that can't be as simple as she would like as the moment they find somewhere to stay for a little while another crisis looms on the horizon. This time round it's the Crossroads and Antimony has to somehow balance the favour she owes them for saving her and her Furi boyfriends life against the young, untrained sorcerer she meets who is determined to take on the Crossroads and win. Of course, the Covenant are still on her tail as well and now she's stopped for a moment away from crowds, it is only a matter of time until they find her.

I really liked the amount of history McGuire builds into this book; the Crossroads have been a looming force for the majority of this series, but nobody really knows a lot about them. Or nobody alive at least, and the dead aren't talking. Quite literally. The ghost of Aunt Mary probably knows a lot about the forces that command her, but she is bound by them and can't give any pertinent information without a cost. Here Antimony and her merry band are having to find that information from other sources, and we get to see what the Crossroads once were, and what they have become. I found the information on how the Crossroads changed some four hundred years ago fascinating for example.

I did miss the Aeslin mice from this story, although there was enough action that I didn't notice it quite as much as in the last novel. They really do add something special to this series though and it's just not quite the same when they are not involved. To make up for this, the story gives more detail on the couple of cryptids who have followed Antimony along for the ride., as well as exploring more of the limitations of sorcery.

All in all, an excellent installment. It's just a pity they aren't available in ebook in the UK, and it looks like it might be quite some time before I can get my hands on the next novel.

HOW IS THIS SERIES SO BLOODY GOOD?
HOW IS THIS BOOK SO AMAZING?

After finishing It I have determined that Seanan McGuire made a deal with the Crossroads! It explains everything! Maybe...

I love all of the characters - well, except the bad guys, but even they have a teeny tiny part of my heart loving them - even as I urge Annie or Sam to finish them!

I need more InCryptid. So I'll probably just re-read the entire series (short fic included) over the next year we have to suffer through before the next book is released.

InCryptid is super amazing UF at its best!

Annie and Co. are back! Her furi boyfriend, Sylph roller derby girl Fern and luck changer Cylia are all on the road trip of their lives. They end up at one end of America, in a hole in the wall in Maine. Annie will have to outwit an enemy, while trying to bargain and keep all of her friends safe at the same time. Hopefully this means she can finally make it back to her family.

This is a book I am accessing via Netgalley for the Hugo nomination packet. Due to this, I will not be reviewing this book via Netgalley at this time.

I got this as part of the Hugo Awards Voting Packet. I love this series! I look forward to reading the author’s next book.

Thank you so much for providing this book as part of the Hugo voting packet. When I have read this book my review will be posted to my blog, Goodreads and retail websites.

Well, yes. If it's written by Seanan McGuire (or her pseudonym Mira Grant), I'm going to read it, and most likely, I'm going to like it.

Antimony (Annie) Price is part of the eccentric cryptozoologist Price family who work to protect the creatures of the magical world as they live secretly among humans. She's always had family to support her, but now she is running for her life (litrally) and calling upon acquaintances and associates whom she has met through her travels. She manages to pull together a small squad: a jink, a fūri, a ghost, and a sylph, and she holes up in a small community in rural Maine.

The Covenant of Saint George is a world-wide organization set to hunt and kill those creatures which the Price family are trying to protect, and so the threat of their finding Antimony s always present. But Antimony has a bigger problem - the Crossroads wants to claim its fee from the bargain it struck. The Crossroads wants Annie to kill James Smith because she owes the Crossroads a favor.

I really enjoy this InCryptid series. The world that McGuire has imagined and created is immense and reasonable and filled with so many wonderful, unique characters. According to a note from McGuire in the book, this is the last Antimony Price novel, but there will be more InCryptid books (in fact, as I write this, I believe I have the next one on my Kindle).

I believe that Seanan McGuire is one of the finest urban fantasy writers currently publishing. She knows how to build a story with plenty of action and intrigue, with plot points unfolding as you read. Her characters are really fun to read and even her minor characters pop off the page as real. Even though we're in a magical world it feels as though we're peeking in on a real event.

If you are new to the series, you really should go back and read the books from the start to get a better understanding of the characters and the world. Plus, once you read this, you'll want to go back and read them all anyway, so you might as well start from there.

There is a short story at the end of the book, "The Measure of a Monster," which is really quite excellent.

Looking for a good book? <em>That Ain't Witchcraft</em> by Seanan McGuire is the 8th book in the InCryptid series, and is a heck of a fun read.

I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher, through Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review.

I love McGuire's Incryptid series, and this was a great entry. How McGuire always comes up with new and unusual cryptid characters and strange magical beings, I don't know!

Annie Price and her gang (Sam,Cylia, and Fern) left Lowryland and headed cross country by the back roads. They ended up in New Gravesend, Maine, renting a house sight unseen. Just lucky! But of course, there were issues. A sorcer next door, the Crossroads wanting its favor fulfilled, and then Leonard Cunningham comes waltzing back into Annie's life. So now all Annie and her pals have to do is figure out what is going on with the Crossroads without getting anyone killed or killing anyone while solving a 500 year-old mystery, and figure out how to keep the Covenant off their backs for good. If they can pull that off, Annie and her friends, old and new, may be able to go home!

Also, the book includes a Alexander Price short story set in Ohio. Nice read as well!

I will never not love a new Seanan Maguire, especially the Price family series and even more so when it's Antimony who is my favorite of the siblings. Maladjusted, weird, and the baby of the family Annie gets some fun stuff when she's give free reign in the books to get a little wild. This volume blends the previous storytelling qwith a solid northeast quaint Maine town ghost story that's more than a little creepy. A.K.A. perfect.

“I’m still the annoying chick who wants to throw knives at your head. I’ve just diversified my interests.”

I was scared of reading this one. So darn scared. Why? Because 1)I knew it would be amazing and all kinds of awesome and hard to read and with so many twists and turns that I would either get motion sick or end up with a pretzel shaped brain. And more important 2)I’d be wailing and begging and ready to go to the crossroads for the next one… only that… next one won’t be Annie’s POV and more wailing would ensue.

So. I waited. And I staled. And the I waited some more. Then I ended up reading the next Mercy installment and it left me so lost, so angry, so darn unsatisfied that I thought heck, I’m already miserable, so, nothing to loose and all to gain. Right? Right?

Yeah… sorta.

“Are you making Harry Potter references because I’m British and you assume that’s the way to reach me?”

One thing we can always count while reading an Antimony’s POV book: Nerd references. Throwing knives. Heartbreaking moments where she sacrifices for those she loves. Unexpected family members. And character growth that makes us wonder why on earth was she the spoiled brat we always were led to believe.

What can we expect from a Seanan McGuire book: ALL KINDS OF AWESOME. And when you are so absorbed with action that the real world fades, she throws a curve ball your way. And when you think that all hope is lost, she finds a solution, temporary or not, and leaves you with a part of a puzzle done but with corners that can be expanded if needed be.

I really, really wished that we were able to see the family reunion. Maybe we still get to see it, maybe not. But I am so happy with this book that I’m almost bursting with joy.

The bonus story at the end didn’t hurt either. Because is always a joy to read some Alex and Shelby. And their interaction with the Aeslin mice is so cute, although not free from danger… since you know… “The mice have email”

I received a free ARC from the Publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

Holy freaking cow! I don't know what just happened. It was like being sucked into a vortex and I just couldn't put the book down. It was everything I wanted and more. Action. Adventure. Mystery. Snark. I was on the edge of my seat for the entire freaking ride.
I don't want to spoil it but you need to read it. It's amazing. Take my word for it.

When I first started this book I went in blind. I just love Seanan McGuire. I will definitely be reading the previous books in this series. This sucked me in from the very first page. For these group of friends who has come together in unique circumstances, they must try to destroy the crossroads and bring it back to its natural state instead of the bad bargains and harm it has been doing for 500 years. After reading this there was a novella in the ARC which is about an extended group of people that knows Annie, They need to go rescue children who have been kidnapped. This is one of the best fantasy series I have read in awhile!

Seanan McGuire is one of my new favorite authors, but I didn’t realize that That Ain’t Witchcraft was book 8 in the InCryptid series. Oops!

No worries, as McGuire is talented enough that I was able to follow along without feeling lost or like I was missing out.

I love when an author is able to make a series book readable as a stand alone! And now I want to go back and read all the previous books, as it’s just that good.

We jump right into the action, with Annie and her friends in the middle of a stake out. In a corn maze. In the middle of Ohio. Huh?

Someone (or something) was using the corn maze as their own personal hunting grounds and eleven people have disappeared. Annie and company are there to find out who (or what) was responsible, then make the killings stop.

What was responsible was….shall we say, weird? Good thing that Annie is a cryptozoologist!

What is a cryptozoologist? In a nutshell, they help “fictional” creatures (like dragons and trolls) stay under the radar and help protect them when needed. There’s also documentation and study involved, but that’s the boring side of the job.

Annie is my favorite type of character – snarky, sarcastic, and smart! And her friends are just as interesting!

The group is on the run, but life on the road is getting tiresome. So Cylia uses her jink good luck to find the perfect hiding spot, a rental house in Maine. Yep, smack dab in the heart of Stephen King country!

An untrained warlock, the evil Crossroads, and the heir to the organization hunting her family down, The Covenant, all make an appearance. This makes for a thrilling read!

McGuire excels at creating interesting characters that we actually care about, keeps her plots moving at a nice pace, and always leaves me wanting more.

Highly recommend this book, even if you’re like me and read it out of order!