Tricks for Free

By: Seanan McGuire

Narrated by: Emily Bauer

Length: 11 hrs and 49 mins

Publisher's Summary

The seventh 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.

Penance, noun:
1. Punishment for past actions.
2. An attempt to pay for what can't be bought.
3. See also "exile."

Antimony Price is on the run. With the Covenant on her tail and her family still in danger, she needs to get far, far away from anyone who might recognize her - including her own mice. For the first time in a long time, a Price is flying without a safety net. Where do you go when you need to disappear into a crowd without worrying about attracting attention? An amusement park, of course.

Some people would call Lowryland the amusement park. It's one of the largest in Florida, the keystone of the Lowry entertainment empire...but for Annie, it's a place to hide. She's just trying to keep her head down long enough to come up with a plan that will get her home without getting anyone killed. No small order when she's rooming with gorgons and sylphs, trying to placate frustrated ghosts, and rushing to get to work on time.

Then the accidents begin. The discovery of a dead man brings Annie to the attention of the secret cabal of magic users running Lowryland from behind the scenes. They want the fire that sleeps in her fingers. They want her on their side. They want to help her - although their help, like everything else, comes with a price.

No plan. Minimal backup. No way out. Annie's about to get a crash course in the reality behind the pretty facade. If she's lucky, she'll survive the experience.

©2018 Seanan McGuire (P)2018 Audible, Inc.

Annie grew up!

Wasn't a big fan of Antimony in earlier works- just a little too realistic as a teenager (whiny, resentful, etc) but she's much more likable in this book. The crew she puts together is fun, and it's a great romp through an amusement park.

One warning: the audio version does not have the Aeslin Mice novella that the ebook version has, so if you want it too you'll have to buy the ebook. I added a question to the authors blog asking if audio buyers can get it another way, so check there to see if Ms McGuire answers.

4 people found this helpful

Verrrrryyyy slow... feels like it has alot of filler

This book was very hard for me to finish. I even stopped listening to this book to start and finish another book. This story did not have much action... it goes on and on about the main character missing her family and how much it sucks to have to hide. The author explains EVERYTHING in painful detail... feels like to drag the story along. This story could have been done in 2 hours if not less.

I was anxious to hear more of “Melody’s” story... now I dont care to ever hear her story Again...

3 people found this helpful

An excellent addition to the Incryptid series.

I will be honest I want more. I wish October daye wasn't a thing and Incryptid was up to Book 15 and that Seanan McGuire was teaming up with Jim Butcher to write side books about his female characters in his world.. like a whole series on Elaine.

At their core, her main characters are people I have absolutely nothing in common with. Professional dancing, Roller Derby, Marrying an attractive woman from Australia... the wonderful world of cryptozoology! that's it I'm an absolutely huge fan. I knock one star off overall for a lack of mice.

I especially like that this is not a Fellowship of St George orientated story. The lack of new Incryptid folks and animals worked because it wasn't necessary for the story that was being told, though it would have been awesome if there were a lot of Chupacabras - because that's just a weird awesome thing.

good stuff five stars all around except for the four stars.

2 people found this helpful

I love Antimony...

It is no secret that I love the incryptid series, and I've followed the Price family going all the way back to Jonathan and Frances' stories set in the 1925-1945 era (these short stories can be found on Seanan McGuire's website for free). The published books cover the family members (extant) who are living "somewhere" outside of Portland Oregon... 
This is the 7th book and the sequel to Magic for Nothing... This book is about the youngest family member, Antimony Price (and she's my favorite among the children). I definitely recommend reading this book, but only after having first read Magic for Nothing!
At the end of book 6, Antimony had to make some desperate decisions to save herself and her family from the Covenant... Tricks for Free starts with Antimony, alone and trying to get a job, at an amusement park... She gets lucky when someone she once called a friend, vouched for her. Her luck seems to hold when Fern, one of the rollerderby girls from her Portland team, The Slasher Chicks, invites her to be one of her roommates. She accepts the offer and discovers that her other roommate is a cryptid too, a Plinys Gorgon.
Antimony Price hasn't worked at the amusement park very long when things go pear shaped and there is a series of unfortunate accidents... one accident, is sad... two accidents, are coincidence... three accidents, are suspicious... Has Antimony run outa luck? Get the book to find out...
The audio edition was narrated by Emily Bauer, and she did a great job of it!

2 people found this helpful

Great entry in the series /light hearted amusement

This is the second in the Annie books of this series. You really should have read Money for nothing first. That being said I really liked the behind the scenes look at an amusement park. I always wondered what it would be like to work at Disneyland. I wish someone would build Lowery land now so I could go. Can’t wait to see what Annie gets up to next.

1 person found this helpful

I love love love this series

Seanan McGuire, unsurprisingly, writes another fantastic book. Antimony Price is rapidly becoming my favorite Price child, and she makes ... interesting ... choices with her life. But her choices are her own, and I'm curious to see where they lead. Doubtless, into more trouble and adventure.

The reader is about as I expected from previous books in the series. She's ok? She's very nasal. Her pronunciations of words she's clearly never encountered before is consistently not great, and it's distracting.

1 person found this helpful

loved it

this was honestly one of my favorites from this series. It was fun while still showing that everyone makes mistakes, it just depends on how you react to them that matters.

1 person found this helpful

The youngest of the kids

Antimony is my least favorite of the three young adults in this series. She's stupid, and her greatest strength is acquiring smart friends. My favorite is the brother, perhaps because he's more cerebral and discusses the Incryptids in the most detail.

Great series!

I am always amazed at the creativity and scope of Seanan's work! This series is fascinating and there's always something new. This series is one of my favs and I've pretty much read them all (even under M.K. Grant). Lots of unique situations. Re-readable and always well read. Good for YA and adults!

Really enjoying this series

The narrator is well matched with the material. Enjoy the world and characters. Will continue to purchase. Like that plot moves right along and does not get bogged down in too much romance or exposition.