This is a light fantasy with a touch more characterization than usual for this series as Verity, who had given up dancing in an earlier volume to follow the family business of saving strange mystical creatures is given a second chance to appear on a dancing reality show (even though her entire family is supposed to be in hiding). But she learns that she cannot really go back on her choice. The plot involving murders of those voted off the show is less interesting than the personal side of the story.

My thanks once again for the generosity of the publisher in making all eligible novels and short stories available for consideration to Hugo voters. I'm very grateful to have been able to experience this series and I definitely understand why it has been nominated for the Best Series award. Best of luck to Seanan McGuire in this and the other categories she is nominated in!

Aaaaaaaahhhhhhhh!!!!!!

That's my thought process immediately after finishing this book. HOLY CRAP.

I'm so very glad I read this. I'd felt a bit let down by the last book (sorry, Alex, but I find your ballroom dancing sister is more interesting), but this installment more than made up for that!

First: Verity! And Dominic!
Second; I loved the fact that this takes place during a dancing reality TV show. It's just so absurd, it's perfect.
Third: Grandma Alice. We finally get to meet Grandma Alice and I adore and love her to bits.

This book is a bit darker than the previous books. There's a serial murderer/snake cultist killing off Verity's fellow contestants, which leads to some pretty macabre scenes. But at the same time, it's also light-hearted in the way that this series is. Verity is flippant, and less serious than brother Alex. Also, dance competition - ripe for drama, even without knowing several of the contests aren't human. Also, the Aeslin mice make an appearance, and they're always a hoot.

Last: THAT ENDING. OH. MY. GOD. I'm seriously looking forward to the next book now to see how that fallout plays out. OH MY GOD.

I love this series and appreciate the chance to revisit before the Hugo voting - I've been buying the earlier books slowly. I like the switch to Alex, who's a more level-headed type than Verity, but the plot in this one is a bit rushed for me. A good lead-in to the next installment, though.

I absolutely adored this book, which was both a bit of a delightful surprise and the first step in laying a foundation of affection for everything that comes after this!

This book returns the POV to Verity. She is given an offer she really doesn’t want to refuse, a callback to do a reunion show on Dance or Die. With the chance to dance in the spotlights one more time and maybe retire her dancer persona for good. Dominic and the mice head out to California with her as backup and the often talked about but never seen Grandmother Alice also shows up. It turns out there is a snake cult working behind the scenes at the competition and to lose is to die by the hands of the cult after the camera shuts off. Will Verity win? Will she defeat the snake cult? Only turning the pages and reading to the end will tell. The ending will have you reaching for the next book and maybe hitting the writer’s website for more info on her family.