Take a trip to Lowryland in Seanan McGuire’s latest InCryptid novel Tricks for Free

For Book-Thirsty Thursday: Seanan McGuire’s Tricks for Free ends up as more of a break from the overarching battle of the InCryptid series, but that doesn’t mean it’s not fun.

This isn’t the first time I’ve had the pleasure of writing about Seanan McGuire (or her alter ego, Mira Grant) here on Culturess, but this is the first time I’ve gotten to review a McGuire title, and I have to say I’m glad it’s from InCryptid. Not to knock the October Daye series, but InCryptid definitely deserves more love. Tricks for Free, sent my way by DAW Books, definitely earns that love.

This is the second title featuring Antimony Price, youngest of the Price siblings, and sees her still fleeing the Covenant of St. George. It certainly feels like an escalation from Magic for Nothing, though — because Annie is now at a theme park, Lowryland. McGuire doesn’t shy away from making the obvious Disney references, but does create some reliable, B-team-esque responses for the face characters at the park.

At the same time, however, at the risk of some minor spoilers, the villain here really isn’t the Covenant of St. George. Certainly, it’s looming in the background. However, Annie ends up facing off against some rather more localized antagonists. It’s not a true weakness of the novel, however. Instead, McGuire seems focused on interrogating the cost of being a Price, let alone a Price on the run. It’s there that Tricks for Free really shines.

After all, Annie spends most of the novel going by “Melody” to the other main characters. Since we’re now seven novels into the series, that shouldn’t surprise fans. However, Annie seems to chafe a bit more and spend some time really thinking about all her different identities.

She’s keeping herself together in a way that Verity and Alexander, her older siblings, don’t — at least not in the same way. After Tricks for Free, it makes total sense that McGuire announces in the acknowledgments that Annie will be back in book eight, That Ain’t Witchcraft. She’s a seriously strong main character.

However, McGuire also lets Annie breathe for a significant portion of the novel by letting her focus on relationships with women, both positive and negative. It’s nice to meet Megan and Fern, Annie/Melody’s roommates. Sure, Sam comes back (you can spot him on the cover, so this isn’t a spoiler). His and Annie’s relationship is ultimately part of a greater whole that makes the novel better. They’re still ridiculously adorable together, though.

If there’s a weakness to be had here, it’s that the Aeslin mice are not here. There’s certainly a good in-story reason as to why, but they are the major comic-relief characters.

Tricks for Free is certainly funny — McGuire has a sharp sense of humor — but it’s not quite as funny as previous titles. Then again, it fits with the more introspective tone. Hopefully, the mice find a way to appear in book eight, though it’s clear McGuire has proved she doesn’t need them.

If your wait for the next October Daye book is just seeming interminable, then the easiest answer is to pick up InCryptid, starting with Discount Armageddon and now ending with Tricks for Free.

Next: Review: One and Only, Jenny Holiday

Of course, if you like urban fantasy with the kind of world-building that means any kind of cryptid, from dragons to bogeymen to gorgons, can show up, then InCryptid is also for you.