Friends. Spelunking Through Hell is a JOURNEY. A literal one for the plotline of the novel as Alice does, in fact, go on a journey to find / recover her long missing husband Thomas and bring him back to the mortal realm. But, also, a deeply emotional journey. Spelunking Through Hell is the culmination of the previous eleven novels that set up everything we need for this novel to feel as earned as it does.

I wouldn’t normally think to quote the acknowledgements page in talking about a novel, but I’ve known for a while that this is the book Seanan McGuire has built entire Incryptid series up to and she puts it far better than I could.

“Here we go again, and finally. You see, Spelunking Through Hell was literally the book I used to pitch this series in the first place and everything since then has been one long con to convince you all to care about this vaguely disturbed, definitely damaged woman and her wild, possibly futile search for the man she lost fifty years before. Alice came before everything else.”

You *could* go into this book cold and enjoy and appreciate Spelunking Through Hell. Seanan McGuire is really, really good at setting up the beginning of a novel with just enough recap and context to pull the reader along. I just wouldn’t know what that looks like because I’ve hooked on this series since book one and I’ve read all of McGuire’s Incryptid stories on Patreon that’s been filling in the family history up through Alice and Thomas. I can’t get my mind in the place to understand what cold reading would look like. I’m invested.

Throughout the series Seanan McGuire has been seeding the idea of Alice Price-Healy. She is referenced by the current generation almost as a legend, but they know that Alice is still around and searching for her husband, Thomas. The current generation, Verity, Alex, and Antimony, are grown. Alice is their grandmother. Thomas has been lost for more than fifty years - except Alice looks like she is the same age as her grandkids because magic and mystic quests. Spelunking Through Hell gets into it (and uses the worse “flense” far more often than one would expect).

We also actively meet Alice in the novel Chaos Choreography and in the bonus short story “Follow the Lady” that is included with the novel Imaginary Numbers.

There’s a point to this - which is that the legend of Alice and Thomas is a founding principle of the Incryptid series and of the Healy / Price family. Thomas didn’t die, he was lost. Readers of the short stories know that he made a deal with the Crossroads to save Alice’s life. In the opening chapter of Spelunking Through Hell we see the Crossroads come collect.

Alice has spent the rest of her life searching for Thomas. *She* knows that he isn’t dead, even if nobody else does. And when Antimony destroys the Crossroads in That Ain’t Witchcraft (spoilers, but what are you really here for?) that finally opens the very real possibility that Alice will find Thomas. She doesn’t have anything else except her quest. Not really.

“Until one day I’d looked around and realized the only real anchors I had left were a dead girl, a house that wasn’t mine, a forest that loved me, and a colony of talking mice.”

Spelunking Through Hell is a quest story, an adventure across multiple worlds and dimensions and we see just how much of a bad ass Alice Healy-Price is and has become, as well as how much this obsession has cost her.

“There’s only so much pain the mind can process before it starts shutting things down, and while the liquid I hung suspended in was designed to keep me from slipping into shock and dying from the sheer intensity of it all, it was impossible for them to deaden my nerves enough to keep the removal of my skin from being the worst thing I had ever experienced”

For the most part, Seanan McGuire’s novels never approach being true horror (she writes as Mira Grant to get closer to that). McGuire has such a light touch with her prose and she seldom lingers on the details, but damn, she can really turn an image when she wants to. This is a novel where she wants to.

For me, Spelunking Through Hells works because Seanan McGuire is a phenomenal storyteller and she has spent the previous ten novels earning my trust. With each book she introduces just a little bit more until we get to Antimony destroying what seems like a fundamental part of the world and Sarah Zellaby moving between worlds and dimensions. Spelunking Through Hell perhaps does not work nearly so well if it is the second novel in the series because what it does is such a leap from the smaller ideas of “supernatural” creatures being real things in our world and a family studying and protecting against those who would kill them simply for existing. Getting from there to here is a journey itself. Earning that journey is something else. McGuire does.

We finally get to see the love story of Alice Healy and Thomas price. I enjoyed this book as it was a long time in coming. However, I do feel like it was a bit slow in places.

This latest entry in Seanan McGuire's InCryptid series finally explains and explores the character of Alice Healy/Price who has been searching for her lost husband Thomas for the last 50 years after he was taken by the Crossroads in payment for a bargain he made with them. While Alice has made brief appearances in some previous books here she is front and center. There are some cringe inducing scenes when explaining how Alice has survived her repeated travels, but all in all, it was nice to finally hear Alice's story.

This book brings new insight to Alice's character and her mission / love for Thomas. I always enjoy the Mice. I enjoyed the novella at the end as well.

For fans of the Incryptid series by Seanan McGuire, this book has been a long time in coming! We finally get the story of Alice, the mysterious mother/grandmother who has been referenced throughout the series and who does not disappoint in her own book as she reaches the end of her decades long serach for her husband, Thomas. After the last few books which have focused on the Jorlac Sarah, it is nice to come back to a more down to earth adventure tale with more mature characters who both love each other passionately but also understand what needs to get done in order to solve their problems.

This is the book I have been waiting for and it did not disappoint!!!!

I am a HUGe fan of Seanan McGuire’s books - she is one of my favorite authors, hands down, and for good reason -she consistently writes numerous excellent, honest, and fun books every year. I was thrilled when DAW and NetGalley gave me an eARC of her newest Incryptid novel, Spelunking Through Hell, which is the 11th novel in the series. This is it! This is Alice’s book! We finally get to travel with her as she roams the multiverse looking for Thomas, her missing husband!

(To recap, the Incryptid series involves a family of cryptozoologists that work to protect the natural diversity of the hidden world. Every few books, the point of view narrator shifts to another member of the same family, which has the added benefit of keeping the series fresh and invigorated.)

In order to get ready for it, I binge read all of the Alice and Thomas short stories on Seanan McGuire’s Patreon page. Are they necessary to enjoy this book? No. Do they make this a much richer and more rewarding novel? Yes, immensely!!

The beginning of the book felt a bit slow to me - which is odd, because it spends a lot of time on action as Alice dimension hops and gets into some big action set pieces, but I can’t really explain it. All of this in the beginning was necessary to set up what follows, so it’s not that big of a deal.

Should I spoil the best parts of the book for you? No? Well, suffice it to say that if you care about these characters and this series then you will love this book. It was satisfying in all of the right ways.

One tiny quibble - at one point Alice makes some Star Trek references, but according to the timeline, she left on her dimension hopping journey in the early 1960s before Star Trek premiered. I’m sure she could have caught an episode here or there when she was visiting earth in the past 50 years, but I don’t recall her ever being a big pop culture or sci-fi fan in her earlier appearances.

My only real complaint is I have to wait a whole other year to find out what happens next!!! This book is a must buy. Thanks to DAW and NetGalley for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

A solid addition to the InCryptid series. Some of our students absolutely love this series, so we will certainly be purchasing copies for circulation. Thank you!

I was incredibly excited to receive this book because even though I’ve already pre-ordered it, getting an ARC means I didn’t have to wait until March. I’ll put my standard disclaimer here: this is book eleven in a long-running series, even if you can start here, you’d be spoiling key elements of the previous books plots, and a lot of the significance of certain characters/events will be lost on you.

I really loved this book, sometimes when you’re this far into a series a novel is either a great story in its own right, or a great entry into the series, but Spelunking through Hell is both. Alice is a fascinating character and I enjoyed learning more about her network of friends, allies and enemies. I can’t do this review as spoiler free as I usually do because I’d be omitting half of my thoughts on the book, so I’ll have a spoiler paragraph at the end that you should only read if you’ve already finished the book/don’t care about spoilers.

I was really happy to finally see Alice in her element, instead of her popping in as firepower for her grandchildren. She does it well, but I love morally grey bounty hunters, and it was good to see the price for her seemingly miraculous abilities. I loved the support system she’d built up, proving without having to say it in as many words that a healthy romantic relationship (even an all-consuming lifetime mission style love) isn’t the only thing you should value. I really liked Alice’s friends on Ithaca, and the variety of ways she solved problems. I felt like her maturity showed in her confidence in her own abilities, and also in her blindspots regarding people/methods she relied on, even when it may not have been the best option.

The only minor complaint I had about this book, and it really is miniscule, is that some of the foreshadowing felt a little heavy handed. Other than that, the obstacles and challenges Alice and the other characters faced were believable, varied and entertaining. I loved the way flashbacks were incorporated into this book, and the slow dawning realisations Alice came to, and then fought back with denial, only to slowly come to accept it once more.

The characters in this book were varied and entertaining, as always, addressing heavy themes like forced marriage, cannibalism, slavery and the ethics of colonisation without becoming tragic or gloomy. There are some clear feminist themes in this book that I love to see, especially given the time in which Alice would have been born. I love the representation of people with all kinds of values/priorities, I think the mark of a good writer is when not all good, strong, or admirable people are presented as having the same strengths and weaknesses. Alice is not Verity with different hair, or Antimony if she jumped through dimensions for a few decades. She’s a fully fledged character in her own right, and I loved getting a chance to know more about her.
LGBTQ+ representation in this series continues to be top tier, and I loved the way various types of relationships that Alice had (professional, familial, romantic, platonic) are highlighted in Spelunking through Hell.

Spelunking through Hell will be a delight to any long-time fans of Seanan McGuire, and I also think this book would appeal to people who enjoyed VE Schwab’s Shades of Magic or The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue; and would also be a good choice for anyone who enjoyed The Dresden Files by Jim Butcher; Liz Williams’s Poison Master; or Karen Marie Moning’s Fever series.

*Spoilers lie beyond this point, read on at your peril*
I was happy that Thomas and Alice were equally dedicated and stayed faithful throughout their separation, and if the aging pause they both managed seemed a little coincidental, I’ll allow it for the story. Any other situation would have resulted in a lot of angst that may have been believable, but would not have been half as fun to read.

I thought Alice’s blindspot regarding Naga was very well written, she’d endured so much at his hand, and known him for such a long time, that she never thought to question him. I’m also glad that the giant snake ended up being evil not because reptiles bad (a lot of fantasy treats races as a monolith, with good and bad characters being defined by genetics alone, something I find pretty boring and unbelievable) but because he was greedy, a far more universal motivator. I also think the ‘you betrayed me and I would’ve made this choice myself if you’d allowed me to’ is always a heart-wrenching dynamic.

I was happy that Thomas was always unfailingly respectful of Alice’s autonomy, up to and including allowing her to risk her life. He may be from the 20s or something, but Thomas is a feminist. I can’t wait for him to meet his children and grandchildren, and the outcasts that have been adopted in his absence. The possibilities of him interacting with Antimony, Dominic, James, his children, Sarah, his new great-grandchild and honestly any of the Price-Healy’s is a fascinating one, and I cannot wait to see where the story goes from here.

I also can’t wait to see James and Sally’s reunion and interactions, and I was glad to know that they’re both gay so there’s no annoying ‘destined love’ trope. I always appreciate platonic love being treated as seriously as romantic love, and I adore the gleeful LGBTQ+ representation that Seanan McGuire brings to her books.

Thanks to Netgalley and Berkley for providing me with an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

We finally arrived at Alice's book. Ten main series novels and countless novellas/shorties later (available on her website and Patreon), multiple years of Incryptid-verse buildup and we finally get to go on Alice's journey to find Thomas.

I can't say much, because this book is a huge deal and I don't want to spoil anything... but what I will say is that all the anticipation was worth it. In this book, we get to follow Alice through multiple dimension/universes/worlds on her quest to bring home her husband.

Is she successful? I can't tell you that. Spoilers, sweetie. But what I can say is that there will be ramifications for the events of this book... and Seanan knows exactly how to leave you already frothing at the mouth for the next book.

Pick this one up, but start at the beginning of the series if you haven't already, and please do find the time to read all of the novellas and short stories leading up to this. It'll make this one feel much richer in story, character, and plot.

Side note - the bonus novella in this book was a gem - hard to read, but a gem nonetheless.

Alice is a total badass who doesn't hesitate to charge in and make quick decisions. She's chaotic, more fragile than she seems and very, very tired. She's also been given a new infusion of hope in her efforts to find Thomas so she continues bouncing through dimensions with very little care for her own well-being in a desperate last-ditch effort to get to him. The result is another amazing installment in this series, and an incredibly satisfying read.

Some details I really liked: Getting to see more closely how Alice uses her magic tattoos to travel across dimensions and keep herself in (mostly) one piece. I also enjoyed getting to see more of the dimensions in this universe, the complexity with which they connect to one another. Magic systems and world-building tend to be my jam, and these were both interesting and well-fleshed out.

A major theme for many of the characters throughout this book is trust. Trusting each other, trusting themselves, what it means to both earn and lose trust. Just a lot of really good inter-character moments that are handled with McGuire's trademark blend of quippy dialogue meets sincerity. These ties drive a lot of the story, and motivate a lot of the character growth.

In a word, this was a gratifying read. A few of the long story arcs from the series have some major plot advancement, and I think it's one that InCryptid fans are really going to treasure. (At least I am!)

I adore Seanan McGuire but I couldn't find any reason to keep reading this book. The main character, Alice, is not charming, even if she is very good at killing things. She left all of her responsibilities, including two kids, to chase after a guy, which seems pretty lame, even for her family of poor decisionmakers. I didn't like her personality or her quest enough to be engaged with the story, and I really, really don't like to read about flaying.

Thank you for NetGalley and the advanced readers copy! I'll steer folks to her other titles.

This is a great series and I would love to be considered a part of their family. I don’t want to give anything away but this book pays off a mystery that’s been lingering since the first book. Very satisfying conclusion!

Alice Healy haunts the background of this series almost as much as the actual ghosts. Verity, Alex, Antimony—all of them are aware of Grandma Alice and her never-ending quest to find what was taken from her.

This book takes family myth and interdimensional legend and presents something real to spool them out from. Alice is hard, single-minded, and more than a little broken, and the deeper insight into the methods of her seeming madness provides an explanation, but never an excuse, for her actions over the last fifty years.

Aside from the fun of dimension hopping, magic tattoos, and winged Victorian-esque raptor people with a cannibalism streak, this book and all the ones proceeding it are especially good at presenting their characters as full, complete, and complex people whose flaws are present and acknowledged. It's refreshing, when main characters are allowed to be shitty and self-aware, and just as refreshing to have the people around them call them out on it.

Speaking of people around: thank god for the Aeslinn mice.

"Now in trade paperback, the eleventh book in the fast-paced InCryptid urban fantasy series returns to the mishaps of the Price family, eccentric cryptozoologists who safeguard the world of magical creatures living in secret among humans.

Love, noun:

1. An intense feeling of deep affection; may be romantic, filial, or platonic.

Passion, noun:

1. A strong or barely controllable emotion.
2. Enthusiasm, interest, desire.
3. See also "obsession."

It’s been fifty years since the crossroads caused the disappearance of Thomas Price, and his wife, Alice, has been trying to find him and bring him home ever since, despite the increasing probability that he’s no longer alive for her to find. Now that the crossroads have been destroyed, she’s redoubling her efforts. It’s time to bring him home, dead or alive.

Preferably alive, of course, but she’s tired, and at this point, she’s not that picky. It’s a pan-dimensional crash course in chaos, as Alice tries to find the rabbit hole she’s been missing for all these decades - the one that will take her to the man she loves.

Who are her allies? Who are her enemies? And if she manages to find him, will he even remember her at this point?

It’s a lot for one cryptozoologist to handle."

OK this is AT LEAST her second book this year. Anyone else keeping a tally?

Another great entry in one of my favorite series! So excited to see this on netgalley and getting to read it has been awesome.

Spelunking Through Hell
(InCryptid #11)
by Seanan McGuire

Now this is the way to start the New Year! A terrific fantasy adventure that keeps your blood pumping and mind whirling! Thank you so much NetGalley and the publisher for letting me read this outstanding book! It will be hard to top this book no matter how many I read this year!

This has Thomas who made a deal at the crossroads to save the life of the girl he loves, Alice. He can't leave his house, part of the terms, and they (Powers that be) can come take him at any time.
Alice and Thomas marry and have a child and due to have another baby any day when they come for him. They don't even let him say goodbye.

Now Alice is not a pushover and has a bit of power. She has a forest that loves her, and a mouse congregation complete with Priest that keep records and prays for her. She also has a ghost babysitter.

Alice is determined to find her husband. As soon as the baby is born, she is off through the Dimensions searching for him. For 50 years!

This is so awesome! The characters are amazing! The places she goes! She is one tough cookie! Tattoos for healing and more. There is multiple elements at play too! Unpredictable, page turner, so clever and mind blowing!

There are flash backs to her life as a child and that is incredible! The whole book is a feast for the brain. Total brain candy!

Wow, I loved reading this book and it's novella so much! Alice has been a background character for a while, we've gotten shorts of her childhood, and she's popped up in a few of the main stories-but this one is her story, and I loved it!

This is the first book that we've gotten that actually explores these other worlds and dimensions. Calculated Risks had them stuck in one, but this book has Alice going to a few different places-and choosing to do so. So I loved learning all of that!

When she gets to the bottle world, well, that was so amazing to read! There were so many amazing moments-and I'm so glad that they got them! And there were some pretty interesting discoveries that I really enjoyed watching play out!

In the acknowledgements, Seanan McGuire writes that this was the book that she used to pitch the series. And I'm a little stunned, because this is well into the series now. And it has me so very excited to see what this series is building up to!

And Sweep Up the World, that hurt. A lot. In the short stories, of the history of the various Healys. But it was hard to have another. We knew that she'd survive, given that we've gotten this whole series in the first place, but wow, was it pretty intense!

Loved reading these, and I can't wait to see where the series goes from here!

This new title in the Incryptid series follows Alice Price-Healy as she jumps dimensions looking for her husband Thomas. Alice has been a peripheral part of this series from the beginning, but the events in That Ain't Witchcraft have created a new avenue to explore and Alice will get closer to Thomas than she has in the last 50 years. But even if she finds him, can they escape the crossroad's bottle dimension?

It was interesting to see Alice as herself rather than as her family views her. Gramma Alice is a bit of a folk hero among her family - traveling dimensions search for a man who may be dead. Some of her family members admire her and others are angry with her. Alice herself makes no apology for following her heart, but it has been a long and lonely road full of pain. This was an interesting story, but I am conflicted about Alice as a heroine. Her obsession with finding Thomas has made her more unbalanced that the family cuckoo (Sarah is a delight - but unfortunately not in this book)

Spelunking through Hell is original, exciting, and thought provoking, and contains the equally excellent bonus novella Sweep up the Wood. This is the book followers of Seanan McGuire's InCryptid series have been hoping for as it answers many of the questions about Alice and her life. As usual with the InCryptid series it has fantastic world building, believable characters and nonstop action that keeps the reader totally invested throughout. There is a satisfying conclusion that does not rule out the hope for more books to come in this outstanding series.

The Price family has spent generations hiding the existence of cryptids (species that might be called fantasy) from the world. When Thomas Price is whisked away by magic, his wife Alice vows to find him. She's been tracking him through multiple dimensions for decades and is getting tired but still determined. and it feels like she's nearing the end.

This is a fast paced exciting quest through strange worlds and peoples (or monsters depending on your point of view).