That Ain't Witchcraft

InCryptid, Book 8

By: Seanan McGuire

Narrated by: Emily Bauer

Now a Hugo-nominated series!

The eighth book in the funny and 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.

Crossroads, noun:

1. A place where two roads cross.

2. A place where bargains can be made.

3. See also “places to avoid”.

Antimony Price has never done well without a support system. As the youngest of her generation, she has always been able to depend on her parents, siblings, and cousins to help her out when she’s in a pinch - until now. After fleeing from the Covenant of St. George, she’s found herself in debt to the crossroads and running for her life. No family. No mice. No way out.

Lucky for her, she’s always been resourceful, and she’s been gathering allies as she travels: Sam, fūri trapeze artist turned boyfriend; Cylia, jink roller derby captain and designated driver; Fern, sylph friend, confidant, and maker of breakfasts; even Mary, ghost babysitter to the Price family. Annie’s actually starting to feel like they might be able to figure things out - which is probably why things start going wrong again.

New Gravesend, Maine, is a nice place to raise a family...or make a binding contract with the crossroads. For James Smith, whose best friend disappeared when she tried to do precisely that, it’s also an excellent place to plot revenge. Now the crossroads want him dead, and they want Annie to do the dirty deed. She owes them, after all.

And that’s before Leonard Cunningham, aka, “the next leader of the Covenant”, shows up....

It’s going to take everything Annie has and a little bit more to get out of this one. If she succeeds, she gets to go home. If she fails, she becomes one more cautionary tale about the dangers of bargaining with the crossroads.

But no pressure.

©2019 Seanan McGuire (P)2019 Audible, Inc.

Another good lighthearted fantasy.

If you’re looking for deep meaning this ain’t it. However if you’re looking for a good fantasy book with a good storyline and a light 20-something vibe this is entertaining.

so good

this series continues to rock. Seanan McGuire can do no wrong Antinomy price is at it again

McGuire’s superbity

I appreciate her character development, the twists and turns in the story while she maintains the consistency of the world she describes.

Get ready for an intense listen!

I loved the world McGuire has created and the history of the families. We see Rose, a hitchhiker ghost and another ghost from the Ghost Roads series. It all tied in perfectly. McGuire treats us to the history or the beginning of the Aeslin Mice and their relationship to the Price family. All hail the Aeslin Mice! I miss them, but hope we see them in the next book! McGuire hinted that we would.

Emily Bauer rocked the narration and I could not imagine the series without her. She creates unique voices and captures the intensity of the scenes and we get some nail-biting, tear jerking, help me now scenes before it was all said and done.

Anne Price must outwit the Crossroads and Leonard if she hopes to get Mary back and have a normal life...well normal for her. After all she is a Price. That Ain't Witchcraft was brilliant from beginning to end. If you haven't stepped into the mind and imagination of Seanan McGuire you are missing out!

Narrator getting way better

I reviewed an earlier title in this series with some concerns about the narrator. But now I feel like I can dial some of that back as the series progresses. There are still some mispronunciations ("garrotte" is a big one), but previous words at issue have been corrected. And in this episode specifically, the narrator does a surprisingly not-annoying New England accent (source: I am a native of New England). It's really hard for someone who hasn't grown up leaving out Rs to be proficient in their (non?)application, and really hard for anyone who has done so to listen to most people try. I won't say she nails it, but it was pleasantly not horrible, and the misses were more cute than nails-on-a-chalkboard. Definitely an improved experience overall.