Reviews

Discount Armageddon by Seanan McGuire

setauuta's review against another edition

4.0

I love this as the beginning of the series. There's a lot of information crammed in here that (mostly) doesn't feel like an infodump, and the characters are set up nicely, with plenty of room for growth. It could have stood alone, but I'm very glad it didn't have to - watching the series grow has been fabulous. It's been a while since I had read this, so it was a nice refresher.

yaelaed's review against another edition

adventurous funny lighthearted slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0

hstapp's review against another edition

3.0

I was really uninterested at the start of the book. The cryptid's just came rolling in one after another, just constantly slamming into your face. Also Verity is depicted as a badass woman, strong and powerful and in control of her sexuality, or... I think that's the attempt. Mostly in the realm of sexual matters it seems like she is just there for the male gaze.

The beginning gives me serious Buffy vibes, but not in a way I found enjoyable.

However, once I got into the plot, and the backstory elements I really started to enjoy it.

Also Candy meeting William was hot.

saoki's review against another edition

4.0

This book feels like superhero comics should feel. I'm serious, someone should pay Seanan McGuire to write X-Men. It might seem like a weird line to start a review, but I wanted to say that since I finished reading Discount Armageddon.
There's a simple reason for that. Discount Armageddon centers around a powerful, competent woman that likes to run over rooftops in New York while doing a work the world ignores or hates her for doing. She's a real heroine, and I love her. She also dances, which brings joy to the character (I am through with grimdark urban fantasy about people that hate the better things things about themselves) and explains her acrobatics elegantly.
By the way, elegance is the word here. The world building is rich and minimal, you don't get acquainted with more than you need to know, yet you know there's more. The characters are diverse in every sense of the world, no cookie cutter alpha werewolves here, we're talking about monsters that'll get you googling for information put in a very urban setting and acting like citizens of that world. And the writing is subtle enough that you won't even notice the themes until they smile and point a gun at you.
Gorgeous. Recommended.

spikehype's review against another edition

adventurous dark

• Plot- or character-driven? Character

4.0

ladyofphoenixx's review against another edition

• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No

3.0

elizafiedler's review against another edition

adventurous emotional funny lighthearted mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

lorialdenholuta's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional funny lighthearted mysterious tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

 

The first book in the InCryptid series is also my first introduction to Seanan McGuire, and it’s certainly not going to be the last book of hers I read. In fact, I can guarantee I’ll be reading the entire InCryptid series.

Our protagonist (and sassy narrator) is Verity Price, a young woman living in a small apartment in Manhattan. She shares her living space with a sect of religious, overly excitable mice (trust me, you’ll love them). Verity is a cryptobiologist and self-professed defender and protector of the city’s mostly-hidden cryptid population. It’s a family business, and they’ve been in this line of work for a very long time.

She’s a busy girl. Along with her protector adventures, she holds down a day job as a waitress in a tacky titty bar, and pursues her passion for competitive ballroom dancing. These disparate activities may seem wildly unrelated, but Verity’s woven them all together into a crazy lifestyle that works for her.

This first adventure eventually settles down and presents a challenge. It seems that there’s something living under Manhattan. Something huge. Something very old. Something that may be waking up. This huge old something has brought Dominic, a member of the Covenant, to the city. The Covenant is the opposite of everything Verity stands for, and now ‘her’ local cryptids are in danger of being killed.

Verity needs to find and hopefully protect this unknown critter, while dealing with Dominic and his agenda. It doesn’t help her situation that he’s quite good looking, and far too kissable.

The snappy pacing and clever wordplay had me reading at such a brisk pace that I didn’t realize the entire afternoon had whizzed by. I finished the story in a surprisingly short time. In addition to the interesting, mostly-likeable characters I find the author’s careful attention to worldbuilding and creature creation to be highly satisfying. 

christy_david's review against another edition

4.0

weeeird very enjoyable urban fantasy lol

eb2114's review against another edition

adventurous funny fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.75