Discount Armageddon: InCryptid, Book 1

I've enjoyed all of Seanan McGuire/Mira Grant's other books but this is rapidly shaping up to be my favourite!

Tie between Sarah Zellaby and Verity Price ( although I'd be really interested in her grenade toting grandmother as well).

For a lot of Characters the young bright and perky thing wouldn't work but for Verity it's perfect!

Yes, I had to tear myself away from it.

The cover and the short synopsis made me a little wary of this book but it's gone way past my expectations, it's just ridiculously fun!

Basically I'm at the point where Seanan McGuire is an anxiously awaited autobuy ( on the same level as Patricia Briggs or Ilona Andrews).

A fun and escapist new take on urban fantasy with some great plot twists. I keep wanting to say "bouncy," perhaps because the pert blond heroine bounces over the roofs of the city as she free-runs from place to place. The free-running and a back story that includes a stint on a reality TV show are a few of the elements that make this book feel very timely--the action is happening now, in 20teens America.

As for the urban fantasy--the talking mice and the cuckoo are just the best of the delightful new fantasy creatures in the Cryptid world. Also excellent is the casting of Emily Bauer to read this book. Her voice makes Verity Price come alive, completely and perfectly.

The universe, plot fun and pacing, and narrator are why I give this book 4 stars.

Discount Armageddon includes lots of talk of ecology and evolution; no mention so far in the series of any gods or religions beyond those of snake cults and the talking mice. Saint Patrick is mentioned, though only in association with the bad guys. So, magic, and monsters, but no mysticism... except that of the sacred vow of the bad guys... I hope there's not going to be a "science=good/religion=evil" theme as this series continues... boring. (And semantic).

Less gritty than Ilona Andrews' Kate Daniels series (which, set in the future, is more dystopian), Discount Armageddon's love story also lacks (as of book one) the emotional depth of Andrews' series. Rather obvious hookups occur between physically attractive characters because...um....they're hot? And hot people just automatically have amazing chemistry and deep connections...? More depth, please. I like escapism, but my disbelief can only be suspended so far.

Great title, except that the book didn't actually involve any Armageddon. I guess "Discount Secret History/Urban Fantasy" just doesn't have the same ring... and "InCryptid"... I have to wonder if McGuire made up this entire series just so she could use that pun.

I also could have done without the sexual themes and nudity. The heroine works as a cocktail waitress in a strip club and is frequently described--in great detail--in skimpy, sexy outfits (reminded me of Sucker Punch). She makes all the moves on the Obvious Love Interest, and the kissing scenes are also described in detail. But then as the intimacy rises, McGuire fades the scene to black. I don't get it--gratuitous descriptions of scantily clad women, yet barely-there sex scenes? (Much less detailed than in the Kate Daniels series). I don't think there's a decent plot reason to have to heroine work at the club to begin with, and it doesn't empower any of the female characters--all the club adds to the book is another clever name and lots of female nudity. But, even if there are plot reasons for the strip club I missed... why all the focus on describing the wardrobe? What's the point? To teach women that we have the power to kick butt and take names, as long as we're also scantily clad and ready to have sex at any second with any available hottie?

Well, I knew from the genre that there would be sex in this book--I just wish it was as easy to fast-forward an audiobook over the parts I want to skip as it is to skim in a regular book!

I'll continue reading the series as long as it continues to offer light, escapist action. I give it 4 stars because it was a great listen with a good variety of tense and less tense scenes, and for the aforementioned plot twists and creative creatures.

It was a lighter experience than McGuire's other works and I really found myself getting into the adventure of it all.

I might've gotten a little misty-eyed when Candy met William. Maybe. Don't judge.

I quite like Emily Bauer's voice, but can someone please teach her how to pronounce Antimony and gorgon before the next one comes out? Please?

I can't wait to read the next in this series. The little religious mice were adorable and I can't wait to see what happens in the relationship between Verity and Dominic. The narrator does a good job creating a separate voice for each character, and I would definitely recommend it to anyone

While this story is interesting and enjoyable, I feel an obligation to share that "there be mice" lots and lots of mice. Since I am one of those who has a rodent phobia, discovering that the heroine shares her living space with a colony of mice was off putting to say the least. I almost stopped listening. Thankfully I came back to the story and pushed through. In all honesty, the mice were more the mickey type than the horror story, attack the human type.

I enjoy this genre of books. Being an avid reader all my life, I have transferred this same enthusiasm to listening. I have been through many series and am constantly looking for new. What I liked the best about this book is the more human qualities the supernaturals are given. It is a different approach than all the "kill the bad" that many authors take. The snark wasn't bad either.

This wasn't the best series I've experienced but is was enjoyable and I think well worth the credit. Good start. Now I'm interested in seeing where this goes.

The writing. Seanan is a terrific story teller. Once I started listening, I used any excuse I could find to continue listening.

I really liked Verity. She's strong, a bit vulnerable, and funny. But I also liked Dominic because he started with very definite views about the cryptids but wasn't so stubborn that he could admit that what he knew about cryptids could be skewed.

I've never heard her read before.

This was a fun story and eagerly awaiting the release date of book 2.

I absolutely love the October Daye series and rank her books as auto buys. This one was great also. Not as much depth as the faerie novels, but good fun. Looking forward to listening to the next one.

Love this author. I've read all of the October Daye books at least twice, and I'm delighted that she's publishing another series (although I hope there is more Toby to come!) Since my favorite genre is Urban Fantasy, I've got a lot of practice with "suspending disbelief" and I needed those skills for this book.... The premise is fun and different, the overall story is great, but the details kind of poked at the edges of what I'm willing to swallow. I guess I found the lead characters just a bit too perfect. It almost seems like an earlier effort that was written before the author had fully developed her style, and is just now getting published. You know that anything titled "book 1" the hero is not going to die, but the whole time there never seemed the slightest possibility of anything other than falling in love and beating the bad guys. There is, however, some really good stuff unexpected stuff here (the dragon! the mice! love them!)

I'm afraid I never did warm up to the narrator. The writing makes up for what I found as an annoying voice and other folks seem to like Ms. Bauer just fine. I'm in for Book 2 regardless but would be pleased to see a switch in the narrator choice.

The author works hard to come up with reasons why the heroine doesn't just shoot deadly monsters and her ability to fight increases and decreases based on the plot and is not logical.

yes

Narrator was good. She has the right voice and inflection to make the story interesting.

It is a fun listen if you don't have a really good book to listen to or read.

The author tries to weaving a variety of interesting skills into the main character... ballroom dancing, parkour, zoology, hand to hand combat... but to me as a reader I question if the author actually know much about any of these topics even in the "stage-fighting" logic of tv shows, movies, and books

For one thing the main character keeps bragging about how lethal she is because of how many hidden weapons she has on her in addition to her gun (making them sound like earring and other accessories)... then is beaten MULTIPLE times while at the same time failing to use most of her weapons - even worse runs out of bullets for her gun. She has the tactical mind of a hamster and is routinely unable to deal with any opponent that does not doesn't step forward, announced a challenge, and attack head-on in a 1-on-1 style duel.

When cornered and incredibly outnumbered by several bigger and stronger opponents and you worried about survival... why would anyone try hand to hand combat instead of using their gun until they are almost utterly defeated?

School of Good and Evil

Narrator did a decent enough job with the dialogue she was given.

Annoyance