What do you think?
Rate this book
InCryptid #15
Butterfly Effects
Seanan McGuire’s New York Times-bestselling and Hugo Award-nominated InCryptid series continues with the fifteenth book following the Price family, cryptozoologists who study and protect the creatures living in secret all around us.
Chaos, noun:
1. The inherent unpredictability in the behavior of a complex natural system.
Chaos theory, noun:
1. A branch of mathematical and physical theory that deals with the nature and consequences of chaos and chaotic systems.
2. The study of unpredictable systems.
3. See also “impossible math.”
Sarah Zellaby is a Johrlac, a member of a species of psychic ambush predators colloquially referred to as “cuckoos.” Eight years ago, she survived the difficult, painful process of becoming a cuckoo queen…although not without costs. In the wake of her transformation, the man she loved was entirely erased from his own mind, forcing her to reconstruct him from the memories of the people who knew and loved him.
Sarah has been struggling to come to terms with her actions ever since. But there's no one else on the planet with the power to hold her accountable―until the Johrlac authorities show up. It’s time for her to stand trial for what she's done, something which can only happen on Johrlar, home world of her species, where the population is controlled by a system of unyielding hiveminds and crime is punishable by erasure.
With Sarah’s life on the line, her family will need to find a way to cross dimensional borders and survive a hostile, telepathic world in order to get her back―before the Sarah they know ceases to exist.
But no matter what happens, actions have consequences... and Sarah Zellaby is about to learn that lesson the hard way.
Chaos, noun:
1. The inherent unpredictability in the behavior of a complex natural system.
Chaos theory, noun:
1. A branch of mathematical and physical theory that deals with the nature and consequences of chaos and chaotic systems.
2. The study of unpredictable systems.
3. See also “impossible math.”
Sarah Zellaby is a Johrlac, a member of a species of psychic ambush predators colloquially referred to as “cuckoos.” Eight years ago, she survived the difficult, painful process of becoming a cuckoo queen…although not without costs. In the wake of her transformation, the man she loved was entirely erased from his own mind, forcing her to reconstruct him from the memories of the people who knew and loved him.
Sarah has been struggling to come to terms with her actions ever since. But there's no one else on the planet with the power to hold her accountable―until the Johrlac authorities show up. It’s time for her to stand trial for what she's done, something which can only happen on Johrlar, home world of her species, where the population is controlled by a system of unyielding hiveminds and crime is punishable by erasure.
With Sarah’s life on the line, her family will need to find a way to cross dimensional borders and survive a hostile, telepathic world in order to get her back―before the Sarah they know ceases to exist.
But no matter what happens, actions have consequences... and Sarah Zellaby is about to learn that lesson the hard way.
432 pages, Paperback
First published March 10, 2026
About the author
Seanan McGuire
516 books17.3k followersHi! I'm Seanan McGuire, author of the Toby Daye series (Rosemary and Rue, A Local Habitation, An Artificial Night, Late Eclipses), as well as a lot of other things. I'm also Mira Grant (www.miragrant.com), author of Feed and Deadline.
Born and raised in Northern California, I fear weather and am remarkably laid-back about rattlesnakes. I watch too many horror movies, read too many comic books, and share my house with two monsters in feline form, Lilly and Alice (Siamese and Maine Coon).
I do not check this inbox. Please don't send me messages through Goodreads; they won't be answered. I don't want to have to delete this account. :(
Born and raised in Northern California, I fear weather and am remarkably laid-back about rattlesnakes. I watch too many horror movies, read too many comic books, and share my house with two monsters in feline form, Lilly and Alice (Siamese and Maine Coon).
I do not check this inbox. Please don't send me messages through Goodreads; they won't be answered. I don't want to have to delete this account. :(
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 81 reviews
September 29, 2025
A new direction for the Incryptid series
Butterfly Effects is the fifteenth full novel in Seanan McGuire's Incryptid series. The Incryptid series tells the story of the Price family in North America. The Prices make habits and maybe careers of succoring cryptids, which in this world are very real, and include many intelligent and often human-like species like dragons and were-bears. Just for fun, there are also ghosts and various types of magic-users. The Price family spend a lot of their time combatting the Covenant of Saint George, a kind of anti-cryptid Ku Klux Klan.
The Price family is large and keeps growing, since they have an endearing tendency to pick up strays. Each novel (until now) has focused on one particular Price Family member. Thus the point-of-view character in the first two novels was Verity Price, one of what was, at that time, the youngest generation of Prices. That was followed by two novels about her brother Alex then another Verity novel, then three about their sister Antimony, and then two about their cousin Sarah, etc. As a general rule each of the chosen gets to be the POV character of two or three novels, then the focus moves on. (In addition, there is an astonishingly large number of short stories and bonus novellas about the Price family and their friends. Many but not all are listed on the Goodreads Incryptid page. )
The plot, as often as not, is a battle of some sort between the Price family and the Covenant. The Covenant is the typical incompetent villain of many a long series. They lose and lose and lose, but they always seem to rise to annoy readers yet again. I would be happy to see them vanish entirely from the stage.
Butterfly Effects breaks precedent in two (to me) welcome ways. First, we have two point-of-view characters, Sarah and Antimony, even though both of them have had their chance in the barrel already. Second we have an entirely new plot, which has nothing to do with the Covenant.
Sarah is the focus of this novel. Antimony is mostly supporting cast. Sarah is an adopted member of the Price family and is herself a cryptid, a member of a telepathic parasitic species called "cuckoos." (Apparently the idea came from The Midwich Cuckoos, a novel that I will get around to reading one of these days.) As a consequence of events in novels 9 and 10, Sarah became an immensely powerful telepath and mathematician, a Queen of her species. She broke a lot people and things in the process, and the consequences catch up to her in Butterfly Effects. Turns out her home planet is not happy with her antics and drags her back to stand trial.
Overall, I liked the new directions in Butterfly Effects. It was a good plot. The story-telling, though, is surprisingly clunky. McGuire is a prolific and successful author who knows how to get the mechanics of story-telling right. But you would not guess that from Butterfly Effects. Her most recent novels have been damaged by overexplaining, and this one is no exception. I will continue to read the series, but I found this one a bit disappointing.
WE SING IT, ANYWAY
As usual, the novel is followed by a bonus novella, We Sing It, Anyway. It is told by Elsie-Price-Harrington, another young Price. Elsie mother Jane and her brother Artie were killed or destroyed in previous novels, and Elsie and her father are grieving hard. I can't say much more about this novella without spoiling, since it's about Elsie dealing with the consequences of Butterfly Effects.
Thanks to Tor and NetGalley for an advance Reader Copy. Release date 10-Mar-2026.
Blog review.
Butterfly Effects is the fifteenth full novel in Seanan McGuire's Incryptid series. The Incryptid series tells the story of the Price family in North America. The Prices make habits and maybe careers of succoring cryptids, which in this world are very real, and include many intelligent and often human-like species like dragons and were-bears. Just for fun, there are also ghosts and various types of magic-users. The Price family spend a lot of their time combatting the Covenant of Saint George, a kind of anti-cryptid Ku Klux Klan.
The Price family is large and keeps growing, since they have an endearing tendency to pick up strays. Each novel (until now) has focused on one particular Price Family member. Thus the point-of-view character in the first two novels was Verity Price, one of what was, at that time, the youngest generation of Prices. That was followed by two novels about her brother Alex then another Verity novel, then three about their sister Antimony, and then two about their cousin Sarah, etc. As a general rule each of the chosen gets to be the POV character of two or three novels, then the focus moves on. (In addition, there is an astonishingly large number of short stories and bonus novellas about the Price family and their friends. Many but not all are listed on the Goodreads Incryptid page. )
The plot, as often as not, is a battle of some sort between the Price family and the Covenant. The Covenant is the typical incompetent villain of many a long series. They lose and lose and lose, but they always seem to rise to annoy readers yet again. I would be happy to see them vanish entirely from the stage.
Butterfly Effects breaks precedent in two (to me) welcome ways. First, we have two point-of-view characters, Sarah and Antimony, even though both of them have had their chance in the barrel already. Second we have an entirely new plot, which has nothing to do with the Covenant.
Sarah is the focus of this novel. Antimony is mostly supporting cast. Sarah is an adopted member of the Price family and is herself a cryptid, a member of a telepathic parasitic species called "cuckoos." (Apparently the idea came from The Midwich Cuckoos, a novel that I will get around to reading one of these days.) As a consequence of events in novels 9 and 10, Sarah became an immensely powerful telepath and mathematician, a Queen of her species. She broke a lot people and things in the process, and the consequences catch up to her in Butterfly Effects. Turns out her home planet is not happy with her antics and drags her back to stand trial.
Overall, I liked the new directions in Butterfly Effects. It was a good plot. The story-telling, though, is surprisingly clunky. McGuire is a prolific and successful author who knows how to get the mechanics of story-telling right. But you would not guess that from Butterfly Effects. Her most recent novels have been damaged by overexplaining, and this one is no exception. I will continue to read the series, but I found this one a bit disappointing.
WE SING IT, ANYWAY
As usual, the novel is followed by a bonus novella, We Sing It, Anyway. It is told by Elsie-Price-Harrington, another young Price. Elsie mother Jane and her brother Artie were killed or destroyed in previous novels, and Elsie and her father are grieving hard. I can't say much more about this novella without spoiling, since it's about Elsie dealing with the consequences of Butterfly Effects.
Thanks to Tor and NetGalley for an advance Reader Copy. Release date 10-Mar-2026.
Blog review.
March 13, 2026
Thanks to Netgalley and Tor for the pre-release copy of Seanan McGuire's Butterfly Effects. Below is my honest review.
It's no secret that Seanan McGuire is one of my absolute favorite authors. I'll shout about her works from the mountain tops. She's so good! And this one is further proof that she walks around on the daily with ENTIRE WORLDS living in her head. I have no idea how she gets anything done when all of these stories and characters and alternate dimensions and storylines all take up space in her noggin!
But she gets them down on paper and shares them with us, and I'm thankful for that.
This one picks up some of the threads left behind after Sarah's books and weaves them back into the main story again, and I am absolutely thrilled with how this one went down. What a ride!
I can't say too much without spoiling things, but I think if you've read the rest of the series, the payoff of some longstanding story threads will really satisfy you.
Five stars, highly recommended, but you're going to spoil most of the rest of the series if you pick this one up first. It's a culmination of so many character storylines that it's a bad place to start.
It's no secret that Seanan McGuire is one of my absolute favorite authors. I'll shout about her works from the mountain tops. She's so good! And this one is further proof that she walks around on the daily with ENTIRE WORLDS living in her head. I have no idea how she gets anything done when all of these stories and characters and alternate dimensions and storylines all take up space in her noggin!
But she gets them down on paper and shares them with us, and I'm thankful for that.
This one picks up some of the threads left behind after Sarah's books and weaves them back into the main story again, and I am absolutely thrilled with how this one went down. What a ride!
I can't say too much without spoiling things, but I think if you've read the rest of the series, the payoff of some longstanding story threads will really satisfy you.
Five stars, highly recommended, but you're going to spoil most of the rest of the series if you pick this one up first. It's a culmination of so many character storylines that it's a bad place to start.
March 15, 2026
3.5 You Break It, You Buy It Stars
The entire Incryptid series has followed various members of the Price family through their conflicts with The Covenant and sometimes the InCryptid community. Butterfly Effects takes us to a different dimension and the main planet of the Johrlac's with Sarah. She is in trouble for and going to stand trial for becoming a Queen and killing other Cuckoo's in the process along with what she did to Artie.
Alice and Thomas will not stand for someone kidnapping their grandchildren and since both of them are no slouches to dimension jumping a plan is hatched with the help of Antimony and Sam to go and rescue not only Sarah but also Arthur, who was taken to be evidence against Sarah.
I enjoyed going to see a different side of the Cuckoo's. Exploring the Johrlac species is on the home planet and how they are not the same as the ones who were expelled and live like parasites on the planets they inhabit was fascinating. I appreciated that Seanan McGuire used two PoV in this story instead of just the standard one PoV. That helped with the overall pacing and story as Sarah was being held prisoner and Antimony the other PoV is one her way to Johrlar to save her cousin with Alice, Thomas and Sam.
Overall this was an entertaining story, who doesn't like a rescue mission on another planet to save people in your family, learn about some of your roots to a different species and fix some of the colossal mistakes made in the past. Butterfly Effects ended in a great place and while not perfect, it is about as happy an ending as you could get from this story. Which I appreciate since the series was taking a bit of a depressing turn for me with the events in Aftermarket Afterlife.
A few notes. I struggled with a few things. I'm not sure if Seanan McGuire's editor changed or publishing style but there are great instances of repetition of statements in this and the last few books. I get reminding the reader of things that are important from the last books, which honestly seemed to take up almost 15-20% of this book because she is pulling information from at least four other books. But, there were a lot of times that Sarah or Antimony rehashed things repeatedly in almost exactly the same way as they did in their prior chapter. I also didn't understand the timing aspect. It had been 8 years since the events of Calculated Risks that left Artie as Arthur, which by the way seemed too long. I had a hard time wrapping my head around that piece of the story. It is probably fine but it just didn't feel like Arthur had been around for that long.
Overall, if you have enjoyed the other installments of this series, I think this is one of the more fun and enjoyable books. I like the characters in this world and I'm attached to them. I will however say sometimes it is starting to feel a bit soap-opera-like. Which is maybe what SM is going for. If she continues the series, I am interested to see what other stories she thinks needs to be told.
P.S. I missed the mice, I wish one or more would have travelled with them.
Narration:
Performance: ★★★★
Character Separation: ★★★★★
Diction: ★★★★
Pacing/Flow: ★★★★
Sound Effects: None
Emily Bauer has narrated this entire series and done very well with it. She has a great distinction of voices for the various characters that holds between books. She is consistent in the way she performs the stories and I have enjoyed her interpretation of the material. With such an extensive catalog of work it is easy to understand how she makes the narration of these stories seem effortless.
The entire Incryptid series has followed various members of the Price family through their conflicts with The Covenant and sometimes the InCryptid community. Butterfly Effects takes us to a different dimension and the main planet of the Johrlac's with Sarah. She is in trouble for and going to stand trial for becoming a Queen and killing other Cuckoo's in the process along with what she did to Artie.
Alice and Thomas will not stand for someone kidnapping their grandchildren and since both of them are no slouches to dimension jumping a plan is hatched with the help of Antimony and Sam to go and rescue not only Sarah but also Arthur, who was taken to be evidence against Sarah.
I enjoyed going to see a different side of the Cuckoo's. Exploring the Johrlac species is on the home planet and how they are not the same as the ones who were expelled and live like parasites on the planets they inhabit was fascinating. I appreciated that Seanan McGuire used two PoV in this story instead of just the standard one PoV. That helped with the overall pacing and story as Sarah was being held prisoner and Antimony the other PoV is one her way to Johrlar to save her cousin with Alice, Thomas and Sam.
Overall this was an entertaining story, who doesn't like a rescue mission on another planet to save people in your family, learn about some of your roots to a different species and fix some of the colossal mistakes made in the past. Butterfly Effects ended in a great place and while not perfect, it is about as happy an ending as you could get from this story. Which I appreciate since the series was taking a bit of a depressing turn for me with the events in Aftermarket Afterlife.
A few notes. I struggled with a few things. I'm not sure if Seanan McGuire's editor changed or publishing style but there are great instances of repetition of statements in this and the last few books. I get reminding the reader of things that are important from the last books, which honestly seemed to take up almost 15-20% of this book because she is pulling information from at least four other books. But, there were a lot of times that Sarah or Antimony rehashed things repeatedly in almost exactly the same way as they did in their prior chapter. I also didn't understand the timing aspect. It had been 8 years since the events of Calculated Risks that left Artie as Arthur, which by the way seemed too long. I had a hard time wrapping my head around that piece of the story. It is probably fine but it just didn't feel like Arthur had been around for that long.
Overall, if you have enjoyed the other installments of this series, I think this is one of the more fun and enjoyable books. I like the characters in this world and I'm attached to them. I will however say sometimes it is starting to feel a bit soap-opera-like. Which is maybe what SM is going for. If she continues the series, I am interested to see what other stories she thinks needs to be told.
P.S. I missed the mice, I wish one or more would have travelled with them.
Narration:
Performance: ★★★★
Character Separation: ★★★★★
Diction: ★★★★
Pacing/Flow: ★★★★
Sound Effects: None
Emily Bauer has narrated this entire series and done very well with it. She has a great distinction of voices for the various characters that holds between books. She is consistent in the way she performs the stories and I have enjoyed her interpretation of the material. With such an extensive catalog of work it is easy to understand how she makes the narration of these stories seem effortless.
April 10, 2026
Another excellent installment! This one focuses on Sarah and Annie. It takes place on Johrlac as both Sarah and Arthur have been abducted.
I love the all of the details that go into these books. Reading them feels like I am catching up with family. I also really enjoyed the short story at the end that felt more like an epilogue so the reader knew what happened afterward. An excellent novel for any fan of urban fantasy, fantasy, science fiction, or just a great story in general!
I love the all of the details that go into these books. Reading them feels like I am catching up with family. I also really enjoyed the short story at the end that felt more like an epilogue so the reader knew what happened afterward. An excellent novel for any fan of urban fantasy, fantasy, science fiction, or just a great story in general!
March 19, 2026
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Thank you to Macmillan Audio for the audiobook.
📝 Short Summary
Butterfly Effects follows Sarah Zellaby as she is forced to face the consequences of her past and stand trial on her home world. For Sarah, this means stepping back into a world ruled by telepathy, control, and the threat of erasure. As her family fights to reach her and bring her home, the story unfolds into a wild and emotional journey filled with danger, strange worlds, and the weight of choices that can never be taken back.
Review
I was honestly super nervous going into this one because it is book fifteen in a series and I have never read the others, but this book was so completely wild that it ended up pulling me in anyway. Sometimes jumping into a long running series can feel overwhelming, but this one had such a crazy energy to it that I was able to settle in and just go with it.
What stood out to me right away was how unique this world felt. There is so much going on here, and the author really leans into the strange, imaginative, and slightly chaotic side of the story. It did come off a little weird at times, but in a way I actually enjoyed. It felt different, and I appreciated that the book was not trying to be like everything else.
I also really liked the characters. Alice stood out to me a lot, and I enjoyed Sarah as well. They both felt like characters with real depth, and even though I was coming into this series late, I still felt invested in what was happening to them. That says a lot because with a series this deep in, it would have been easy to feel disconnected, but I did not.
There was also a little humor woven into the story, which I really liked. It helped balance some of the heavier moments and gave the audiobook a fun edge. I always appreciate when a story can be strange, emotional, and funny all at once without completely losing itself, and this one managed that.
The pacing could have been a little better for me. There were moments where I wanted things to move along a bit more smoothly, especially with so much happening in the world and with the characters. Even with that, I was still interested the whole time because the story itself was so unusual and the ideas behind it were strong enough to keep me listening.
Now for the audiobook side, Emily Bauer did a great job with this narration. She brought the characters to life well, and her performance made it easier to settle into a world that was brand new to me. Since this was my first time stepping into this series, having a narrator who could carry the tone and keep everything engaging really made a difference. The audiobook format honestly helped me connect with the story more.
Overall, this was a fun and very unique listen. It was weird, chaotic, interesting, and full of depth in a way I was not expecting. Even though I could tell I was stepping into an already established world, I still found a lot to enjoy here, especially with the strong narration and the originality of the story.
✅ Would I Recommend It?
Yes, especially if you enjoy audiobooks with unique worldbuilding, interesting characters, and a story that is not afraid to get a little weird.
Thank you to Macmillan Audio for the audiobook.
📝 Short Summary
Butterfly Effects follows Sarah Zellaby as she is forced to face the consequences of her past and stand trial on her home world. For Sarah, this means stepping back into a world ruled by telepathy, control, and the threat of erasure. As her family fights to reach her and bring her home, the story unfolds into a wild and emotional journey filled with danger, strange worlds, and the weight of choices that can never be taken back.
Review
I was honestly super nervous going into this one because it is book fifteen in a series and I have never read the others, but this book was so completely wild that it ended up pulling me in anyway. Sometimes jumping into a long running series can feel overwhelming, but this one had such a crazy energy to it that I was able to settle in and just go with it.
What stood out to me right away was how unique this world felt. There is so much going on here, and the author really leans into the strange, imaginative, and slightly chaotic side of the story. It did come off a little weird at times, but in a way I actually enjoyed. It felt different, and I appreciated that the book was not trying to be like everything else.
I also really liked the characters. Alice stood out to me a lot, and I enjoyed Sarah as well. They both felt like characters with real depth, and even though I was coming into this series late, I still felt invested in what was happening to them. That says a lot because with a series this deep in, it would have been easy to feel disconnected, but I did not.
There was also a little humor woven into the story, which I really liked. It helped balance some of the heavier moments and gave the audiobook a fun edge. I always appreciate when a story can be strange, emotional, and funny all at once without completely losing itself, and this one managed that.
The pacing could have been a little better for me. There were moments where I wanted things to move along a bit more smoothly, especially with so much happening in the world and with the characters. Even with that, I was still interested the whole time because the story itself was so unusual and the ideas behind it were strong enough to keep me listening.
Now for the audiobook side, Emily Bauer did a great job with this narration. She brought the characters to life well, and her performance made it easier to settle into a world that was brand new to me. Since this was my first time stepping into this series, having a narrator who could carry the tone and keep everything engaging really made a difference. The audiobook format honestly helped me connect with the story more.
Overall, this was a fun and very unique listen. It was weird, chaotic, interesting, and full of depth in a way I was not expecting. Even though I could tell I was stepping into an already established world, I still found a lot to enjoy here, especially with the strong narration and the originality of the story.
✅ Would I Recommend It?
Yes, especially if you enjoy audiobooks with unique worldbuilding, interesting characters, and a story that is not afraid to get a little weird.
March 25, 2026
Mini blurb: Telepatic predator and amateur mathematician (a.k.a. Johrlac) Sarah Zellaby gets abducted and carried to her home world by her own people, to be tried for the supposed crimes she committed eight years ago. Of course her human family doesn't take it well, especially when her cousin Arthur is swept along for the ride and both of them might be annihilated in different ways. But when a small, yet battle-hardened extraction team follows Sarah and Arthur on Johrlar, they find more than they bargained for, in several respects...
***
Sarah is my favourite InCryptid character (along with Mary), so I was looking forward to her narrating again - along with her adoptive niece/cousin Antimony (it's complicated). I was also eager to see the thread(s) left dangling at the end of Imaginary Numbers being picked up - and as a bonus, the synopsis promised a trip to Sarah's home dimension. I'll be honest though...it took me a bit to warm up to Butterfly Effects, mostly because 1) I don't care much for jail/escape narratives, and 2) the Johrlar setting ended up leaning more on the "fantasy" than on the "urban" side (I should have expected that from the little we'd seen of it in Calculated Risk, but oh well). Anyway, bit by bit, the story sneaked up on me, and so did the setting. Sarah is one of the most inventive, complex, fascinating characters you will ever encounter, and transporting her to her (equally imaginative) home world allowed McGuire to tackle themes of roots, identity, individual-vs.-collective, oppression, guilt/blame, loyalty and family of choice, peppered with a whole lot of coming-into-your-powers stuff (not only when it came to Sarah). Again, I'll be honest - the final confrontation went down a little too easily (though I'll partly chalk it up to a certain ally that shifted the power balance in our heroes' favour) and there were a couple of deus-ex-machina-adjacent moments that didn't make complete sense, but...these characters deserved some happiness and peace, and McGuire managed to have my jaw drop a couple of times, so I'm not complaining. Plus, the mix of tension, action, humour and heart was top-notch. As the Aeslin mice would say, HAIL! HAIL THE INCRYPTID SERIES!
(...I'd say TW: fire and giant bugs, but if you've made it so far into the series, I guess they aren't a problem for you).
As usual with the latest books in the series, there's an attached novella (narrated by Elsie, Artie's sister), in this case one taking place immediately after the events of the main story and for all purposes working as an epilogue. It features a couple of beloved characters' cameos, and most of all, finally brings some grieving members of the family to a healthy place (I mean, they're still broken, but at least some repairs are getting made...).
Note: As a rule, I review every book that I rate 3.5 stars and above in full, unless it's a novella or an anthology. But this series has been around for years now, and I only started reading it in August 2022, so I decided to only write mini (well...probably more like midi) reviews for its installments, or it would have been too hard for me to catch up. Now that I have, I'm writing mini reviews for the new ones as well, out of consistency.
***
Sarah is my favourite InCryptid character (along with Mary), so I was looking forward to her narrating again - along with her adoptive niece/cousin Antimony (it's complicated). I was also eager to see the thread(s) left dangling at the end of Imaginary Numbers being picked up - and as a bonus, the synopsis promised a trip to Sarah's home dimension. I'll be honest though...it took me a bit to warm up to Butterfly Effects, mostly because 1) I don't care much for jail/escape narratives, and 2) the Johrlar setting ended up leaning more on the "fantasy" than on the "urban" side (I should have expected that from the little we'd seen of it in Calculated Risk, but oh well). Anyway, bit by bit, the story sneaked up on me, and so did the setting. Sarah is one of the most inventive, complex, fascinating characters you will ever encounter, and transporting her to her (equally imaginative) home world allowed McGuire to tackle themes of roots, identity, individual-vs.-collective, oppression, guilt/blame, loyalty and family of choice, peppered with a whole lot of coming-into-your-powers stuff (not only when it came to Sarah). Again, I'll be honest - the final confrontation went down a little too easily (though I'll partly chalk it up to a certain ally that shifted the power balance in our heroes' favour) and there were a couple of deus-ex-machina-adjacent moments that didn't make complete sense, but...these characters deserved some happiness and peace, and McGuire managed to have my jaw drop a couple of times, so I'm not complaining. Plus, the mix of tension, action, humour and heart was top-notch. As the Aeslin mice would say, HAIL! HAIL THE INCRYPTID SERIES!
(...I'd say TW: fire and giant bugs, but if you've made it so far into the series, I guess they aren't a problem for you).
As usual with the latest books in the series, there's an attached novella (narrated by Elsie, Artie's sister), in this case one taking place immediately after the events of the main story and for all purposes working as an epilogue. It features a couple of beloved characters' cameos, and most of all, finally brings some grieving members of the family to a healthy place (I mean, they're still broken, but at least some repairs are getting made...).
Note: As a rule, I review every book that I rate 3.5 stars and above in full, unless it's a novella or an anthology. But this series has been around for years now, and I only started reading it in August 2022, so I decided to only write mini (well...probably more like midi) reviews for its installments, or it would have been too hard for me to catch up. Now that I have, I'm writing mini reviews for the new ones as well, out of consistency.
March 12, 2026
This originally appeared at The Irresponsible Reader. If you like this post, you might like others on that site. Consider checking it out!
---
HUH. DIDN'T SEE THAT COMING
The InCryptid series is really a series of small arcs featuring a particular narrator before we move on to the next. Back in 2020 and 2021, we got an arc featuring Sarah Zellaby. Then we moved on to a pair of books focusing on Alice and then two on Aunt Mary.
But whoops--we're not actually done with Sarah's arc. It wasn't a duology after all; it was a trilogy, and McGuire's back to tie everything up.
I didn't think we needed that. But now I see how much we did and how the series as a whole is better for it.
SO, WHAT IS BUTTERFLY EFFECTS ABOUT?
So, we'd learned in Sarah's books that the Johrlac on Earth (and in the wake of destruction they'd left behind) aren't Johrlac-proper, they're a bunch who'd been ejected from their home world for being as awful as we'd thought. These cuckoos were practically a separate species at this point, and most of what people on Earth knew about the cuckoos or Johrlac was horribly wrong.
And basically, everyone had moved on--it didn't matter anymore, because there were only a handful left on Earth and Sarah had removed the ticking genetic time-bombs from them.
Except...the Johrlac are a really uptight bunch and once they saw what Sarah had done, they came to Earth and arrested her to be tried for crimes against Johrlac law. They also kidnapped Arthur to be used as State's Exhibit A in the show trial, right out of the Edo of Rubicun III vs. Wesley Crusher on "Justice."
Back on Earth, Annie and Alice get word of this, so they grab Thomas and use some of Alice's remaining travel spells and inter-dimensional know-how to launch a rescue mission (and Sam insists on coming along).
And things get interesting from there...
WE SING IT ANYWAY
I almost never discuss the novellas packaged with McGuire novels--and I'm not going to do that this time, either. Primarily because it's solely "here's what happens because of the novels conclusion next." So to really talk about it would be to talk about the last half-chapter of the novel in detail.
So why am I talking about it at all? Just because I'm sure some readers are like me and don't always read the novellas. Don't skip this one. Trust me.
WHY DID I PICK THIS UP? WHY DID I KEEP READING?
I grabbed this because I've been on board for this series since the beginning.
Why did I keep reading? Pretty much everything I have said--or am about to say--about the book. I wasn't prepared for McGuire to revisit this storyline, and I enjoyed getting to see what she was up to. I thought the world of the Johrlac was utterly fascinating--and watching the chaos that follows Annie, Sarah, and Alice as they interact with it was as entertaining as it could be.
WHAT DOES THIS BOOK TELL US ABOUT HUMANITY?
That's the tricky thing, isn't it? Given this series, I'm going to have to broaden this idea to "people" or "persons." Also, a good part of it is about just how non-human some of these people can be.
Yet there's something that humans and other non-human species can relate to in the middle of all the otherness.
(also, McGuire's a human and all of her species are going to reflect that in some way, it can't be helped)
The culture of the Johrlac is all about the collective--but there are several individuals expressing themselves (and we can assume some others we don't encounter) in various and sundry ways. Most of these individual expressions are small--insignificant, really. But you get enough insignificant acts, and something noticeable can happen.
That's one of the main things this book is about. While collectives--like both the Johrlac or the Price-Healys--are important, and together can accomplish great feats. It's the individuals involved in them, and their interests and strengths, that make the collectives powerful.
SO, WHAT DID I THINK ABOUT BUTTERFLY EFFECTS?
This is one of the better books in this series lately. I do worry that we're becoming too dependent on the Annie/Sam/Alice/Thomas antics to the detriment of the others. But also? I don't care, because I like Annie/Sam/Alice/Thomas, and everyone else is busy raising kids, so I prefer them out of danger.
The story took a lot of twists and turns that keep you on your toes. Not just on your toes, either, there are a few outright surprises. Some of those surprises come from the fact that the main action of this novel isn't on Earth, and our friends don't have to pull their punches so they can stay under the radar. Annie and her fire can do a whole lot when given the chance.
But this isn't all danger, twists, and fire--there's a lot of fun to be had on this alien world. It's so strange that you just can't help but have fun.
Action, heart, and plenty of smiles. This series shines brightest when McGuire brings these elements to the forefront. Butterfly Effects is proof of that.
Disclaimer: I received this eARC from Tor Publishing Group via NetGalley in exchange for this post which contains my honest opinion—thanks to both for this.
---
HUH. DIDN'T SEE THAT COMING
The InCryptid series is really a series of small arcs featuring a particular narrator before we move on to the next. Back in 2020 and 2021, we got an arc featuring Sarah Zellaby. Then we moved on to a pair of books focusing on Alice and then two on Aunt Mary.
But whoops--we're not actually done with Sarah's arc. It wasn't a duology after all; it was a trilogy, and McGuire's back to tie everything up.
I didn't think we needed that. But now I see how much we did and how the series as a whole is better for it.
SO, WHAT IS BUTTERFLY EFFECTS ABOUT?
So, we'd learned in Sarah's books that the Johrlac on Earth (and in the wake of destruction they'd left behind) aren't Johrlac-proper, they're a bunch who'd been ejected from their home world for being as awful as we'd thought. These cuckoos were practically a separate species at this point, and most of what people on Earth knew about the cuckoos or Johrlac was horribly wrong.
And basically, everyone had moved on--it didn't matter anymore, because there were only a handful left on Earth and Sarah had removed the ticking genetic time-bombs from them.
Except...the Johrlac are a really uptight bunch and once they saw what Sarah had done, they came to Earth and arrested her to be tried for crimes against Johrlac law. They also kidnapped Arthur to be used as State's Exhibit A in the show trial, right out of the Edo of Rubicun III vs. Wesley Crusher on "Justice."
Back on Earth, Annie and Alice get word of this, so they grab Thomas and use some of Alice's remaining travel spells and inter-dimensional know-how to launch a rescue mission (and Sam insists on coming along).
And things get interesting from there...
WE SING IT ANYWAY
I almost never discuss the novellas packaged with McGuire novels--and I'm not going to do that this time, either. Primarily because it's solely "here's what happens because of the novels conclusion next." So to really talk about it would be to talk about the last half-chapter of the novel in detail.
So why am I talking about it at all? Just because I'm sure some readers are like me and don't always read the novellas. Don't skip this one. Trust me.
WHY DID I PICK THIS UP? WHY DID I KEEP READING?
I grabbed this because I've been on board for this series since the beginning.
Why did I keep reading? Pretty much everything I have said--or am about to say--about the book. I wasn't prepared for McGuire to revisit this storyline, and I enjoyed getting to see what she was up to. I thought the world of the Johrlac was utterly fascinating--and watching the chaos that follows Annie, Sarah, and Alice as they interact with it was as entertaining as it could be.
WHAT DOES THIS BOOK TELL US ABOUT HUMANITY?
That's the tricky thing, isn't it? Given this series, I'm going to have to broaden this idea to "people" or "persons." Also, a good part of it is about just how non-human some of these people can be.
Yet there's something that humans and other non-human species can relate to in the middle of all the otherness.
(also, McGuire's a human and all of her species are going to reflect that in some way, it can't be helped)
The culture of the Johrlac is all about the collective--but there are several individuals expressing themselves (and we can assume some others we don't encounter) in various and sundry ways. Most of these individual expressions are small--insignificant, really. But you get enough insignificant acts, and something noticeable can happen.
That's one of the main things this book is about. While collectives--like both the Johrlac or the Price-Healys--are important, and together can accomplish great feats. It's the individuals involved in them, and their interests and strengths, that make the collectives powerful.
SO, WHAT DID I THINK ABOUT BUTTERFLY EFFECTS?
This is one of the better books in this series lately. I do worry that we're becoming too dependent on the Annie/Sam/Alice/Thomas antics to the detriment of the others. But also? I don't care, because I like Annie/Sam/Alice/Thomas, and everyone else is busy raising kids, so I prefer them out of danger.
The story took a lot of twists and turns that keep you on your toes. Not just on your toes, either, there are a few outright surprises. Some of those surprises come from the fact that the main action of this novel isn't on Earth, and our friends don't have to pull their punches so they can stay under the radar. Annie and her fire can do a whole lot when given the chance.
But this isn't all danger, twists, and fire--there's a lot of fun to be had on this alien world. It's so strange that you just can't help but have fun.
Action, heart, and plenty of smiles. This series shines brightest when McGuire brings these elements to the forefront. Butterfly Effects is proof of that.
Disclaimer: I received this eARC from Tor Publishing Group via NetGalley in exchange for this post which contains my honest opinion—thanks to both for this.
March 13, 2026
I liked this one. Solid book in the series. (MAJOR spoilers behind this cut.)
I liked it though. Handwaving of plot reasons aside. This series is just a comfort read to me, and I liked spending time with these characters. Especially Mark. I want to see more of him. i don't know that we will, he's not technically part of the family, but I love him.
I liked it though. Handwaving of plot reasons aside. This series is just a comfort read to me, and I liked spending time with these characters. Especially Mark. I want to see more of him. i don't know that we will, he's not technically part of the family, but I love him.
March 26, 2026
Like most urban fantasy, I recommend you listen to the InCrytid series in the order of their release. I have read none of the novellas. I hope that an audio collection will be forthcoming. Events in Butterfly Effects take place in answer to Sarah’s actions in Calculated Risks.
Sarah is called to St. Giles’ Hospital under New York City to see Marcus, a cuckoo who has been in a coma for almost eight years. Marcus is waking, and when Sarah aids him, it triggers an energy that calls forth the Johrlac, who grab Sarah and transport her to their hive to answer for alleged crimes.
Marcus calls Antimony and tells her what occurred. She and Sam informed Alice and Thomas just as they learned Arthur had been taken too. The four head out to Johrlac to save their family members, and the tale that unfolds provides the point of view of both Sarah and Antimony.
If you haven’t listened to Imaginary Numbers & Calculated Risks and are a rebel who likes to jump into a series, I recommend you stop and at least listen to those two novels. Seriously, everything that happened there directly impacts what happens in Butterfly Effects. Johrlac’s are basically bees. They live in hives and serve the queen(s). When a group tried to rebel and wanted autonomy, the hive cast them out and sent after ripping away essential information and scattered them through the universe, which is how Sarah came to be on Earth and a member of the Price family. Now, they’ve decided that Sarah, a cuckoo, has committed crimes and must stand trial. Afterwards, she will be wiped and returned to the hive mind. I am not going to share what she did, other than this: in saving the planet, she wiped out the memories of herself from her family, and things went terribly wrong with Arty, and we were left with Arthur.
McGuire is a masterful storyteller, and I found myself enthralled by both points of view as we explored Johrlac, dealt with the hive, and learned of others living on the planet in hiding. For fans of the series, I think you’ll love some consequences of the trials and growth we see in characters as they are tested. Sacrifice, family, and individuality are key components of the story.
This series never gets old, and I loved what McGuire did here. As always, I am left excited for the next story, as things back on Earth are far from finished. If you love action, adventure, danger, family, and learning about odd creatures living among us, you’ll want to start the InCrytid series. McGuire/Grant is an autobuy for me and one I recommend regularly. This review was originally posted at Caffeinated Reviewer
Sarah is called to St. Giles’ Hospital under New York City to see Marcus, a cuckoo who has been in a coma for almost eight years. Marcus is waking, and when Sarah aids him, it triggers an energy that calls forth the Johrlac, who grab Sarah and transport her to their hive to answer for alleged crimes.
Marcus calls Antimony and tells her what occurred. She and Sam informed Alice and Thomas just as they learned Arthur had been taken too. The four head out to Johrlac to save their family members, and the tale that unfolds provides the point of view of both Sarah and Antimony.
If you haven’t listened to Imaginary Numbers & Calculated Risks and are a rebel who likes to jump into a series, I recommend you stop and at least listen to those two novels. Seriously, everything that happened there directly impacts what happens in Butterfly Effects. Johrlac’s are basically bees. They live in hives and serve the queen(s). When a group tried to rebel and wanted autonomy, the hive cast them out and sent after ripping away essential information and scattered them through the universe, which is how Sarah came to be on Earth and a member of the Price family. Now, they’ve decided that Sarah, a cuckoo, has committed crimes and must stand trial. Afterwards, she will be wiped and returned to the hive mind. I am not going to share what she did, other than this: in saving the planet, she wiped out the memories of herself from her family, and things went terribly wrong with Arty, and we were left with Arthur.
McGuire is a masterful storyteller, and I found myself enthralled by both points of view as we explored Johrlac, dealt with the hive, and learned of others living on the planet in hiding. For fans of the series, I think you’ll love some consequences of the trials and growth we see in characters as they are tested. Sacrifice, family, and individuality are key components of the story.
This series never gets old, and I loved what McGuire did here. As always, I am left excited for the next story, as things back on Earth are far from finished. If you love action, adventure, danger, family, and learning about odd creatures living among us, you’ll want to start the InCrytid series. McGuire/Grant is an autobuy for me and one I recommend regularly. This review was originally posted at Caffeinated Reviewer
March 22, 2026
A new Incryptid always feels like coming home. The themes of family, of fighting and failing and making amends and fighting all over again, they always take center stage in this ever-unfolding world, and while there are some storylines that impact me more than others, I cannot ever deny my love of Seanan's worldbuilding and incredible character writing.
This book also gave me something I never expected - catharsis and relief about a character I love and relate to on such a deep emotional level. Sarah has always been one of my favorites - fighting for first place in my mind with Mary and Antimony - but her status in this series since the cuckoos abducted her - has felt the same way I feel about another character near and dear to my heart: Wanda Maximoff. Seanan, if you ever read this, you'll understand what I'm getting at you Marvel nerd (affectionate). Marvel cannot conceive of a universe in which the Scarlet Witch is happy, and I feared that same fate would fall to Sarah. The two have always felt related to me - two women with powers they cannot control who desperately want nothing more than their family, and at every turn are forced to endure heartbreak after heartbreak. Thank you for giving Sarah her family back - all of it. This world is still vast and full of danger and enemies, but it is also kinder, gentler now, with pieces that have been missing for so long falling back into place.
I have no idea where this series will go from here, but I am waiting patiently for the next installment. And I am over the moon excited for the continuation of Middlegame. I'll be doing a reread as May draws closer. Seanan McGuire is one of the best damn authors writing today, and I'll follow her wherever she leads. Might even jump over to October Daye at some point :)
Edit: I used far too many em-dashes, but I don't care.
This book also gave me something I never expected - catharsis and relief about a character I love and relate to on such a deep emotional level. Sarah has always been one of my favorites - fighting for first place in my mind with Mary and Antimony - but her status in this series since the cuckoos abducted her - has felt the same way I feel about another character near and dear to my heart: Wanda Maximoff. Seanan, if you ever read this, you'll understand what I'm getting at you Marvel nerd (affectionate). Marvel cannot conceive of a universe in which the Scarlet Witch is happy, and I feared that same fate would fall to Sarah. The two have always felt related to me - two women with powers they cannot control who desperately want nothing more than their family, and at every turn are forced to endure heartbreak after heartbreak. Thank you for giving Sarah her family back - all of it. This world is still vast and full of danger and enemies, but it is also kinder, gentler now, with pieces that have been missing for so long falling back into place.
I have no idea where this series will go from here, but I am waiting patiently for the next installment. And I am over the moon excited for the continuation of Middlegame. I'll be doing a reread as May draws closer. Seanan McGuire is one of the best damn authors writing today, and I'll follow her wherever she leads. Might even jump over to October Daye at some point :)
Edit: I used far too many em-dashes, but I don't care.
March 12, 2026
This story, combined with it's bonus novella, it feels like an ending of an era. I had reread Installment Immortality before this one arrived and yeah. It's a good wrap for this era of InCryptid.
Now for the next adventure..
Now for the next adventure..
March 14, 2026
I was a little bit unsure if I'd like this book as much in the beginning, because I wasn't sure if I liked the books that went to other planets/galaxies when Alice the grandmother was the narrator, but since she was just a side character, this worked out okay. Arthur and Sarah get kidnapped by the Johrlacs to stand trial, and it was interesting to see the homeworld of Johrlar. I also really appreciated the novella at the end that is from Elise's point of view. When will we get an Elsie-narrated book?
August 19, 2025
Aaaaaahhh, finally back to the main storyline (I know, they are all main storylines, but I've been waiting for Sarah's to move along for ages). So satisfying to see these plotlines move through into actual adventures, and to learn more about the Jhorlac. So pleasing to see how relationships are playing out -- Antimony and Sam, Thomas and Alice. Looking forward, as always, to seeing where the family goes from here -- lots of interesting developments.
Advanced Reader's Copy provided by Edelweiss.
Advanced Reader's Copy provided by Edelweiss.
February 18, 2026
After binge reading the last nine books I needed to read in this series, all in the month of February (so far), I had no doubt I would give this one 5 stars. I loved being back in this specific storyline in the family, and I was so excited to see where Sarah’s people came from. Especially because I wasn’t sure if we ever would. It was nice having Mark back too. The Artie/Arthur storyline went in a direction I hadn’t expected!
Absolutely love this series and excited to find out what happens next. I have a feeling I’m going to be in a slump after spending the last 17 days binging the series to catch up!
Absolutely love this series and excited to find out what happens next. I have a feeling I’m going to be in a slump after spending the last 17 days binging the series to catch up!
March 11, 2026
This whole family is slightly crazy and does crazy things, which makes for great reading and this book is no different. So much is going on, so much the do on blind faith with that little bit of crazy Price family hutzpah thrown in. There are so many things that get tied up in this one and we learn about Sarah's biological and cultural background and it's not good. I think things ended about the best way possible and now there is a bit of a bright spot for the family with what they have gained. I do wish we could have gotten more family reactions of what all they came back with, hopefully that will be addressed in future books.
April 16, 2026
So preachy, to the point of being distracting.
So much exposition! Seanan McGuire is an author for whom it’s very easy for me to remember what she wrote in previous books, she tells good stories. There was just so much exposition in this one.
And finally, a total jump the shark moment with a deus ex machina ending.
Not one of my favorites.
So much exposition! Seanan McGuire is an author for whom it’s very easy for me to remember what she wrote in previous books, she tells good stories. There was just so much exposition in this one.
And finally, a total jump the shark moment with a deus ex machina ending.
Not one of my favorites.
March 13, 2026
Not my Favorite installment of the InCryptid Series but I had fun. It was great to be hanging out with Antimony again. There was a bit too much Deus Ex Machina in this story for my tastes.
March 27, 2026
This is an InCryptid book, therefore it’s ingenious, charming, and a genuinely good time!
March 11, 2026
4.5 stars
Yes! We're back! Also, finally!
After being underwhelmed with the previous InCryptid book, with this one I was back to enjoying the story immensely. As evidenced by the fact that I stayed up until 3 am to finish it in one sitting.
The narration for this one is split between Sarah, who gets a nasty surprise when the Johrlac kidnap her to their home dimension to stand "trial" for her "crimes", and Annie, who narrates the part of the interdimensional rescue party going after Sarah (made up of Annie, Sam, Alice and Thomas - some of my favorite InCryptid characters). We learn some interesting things about Johrlac society and also about the Kairos. And there is finally some resolution to an issue that's been a long time coming.
The book sometimes went a little overboard with bloating the narrative with recap-like explanations, which is why I'm docking a half star. Also, I said it before and I'll say it again. The family trees really need updating. At this point they are hopelessly outdated to the point of being useless. They are missing the whole new generation and half the newer adopted kids/siblings. Instead of bloating the story with reminders of the newer characters (repeating the same phrasings from book to book) - maybe update the family trees, or do a family member glossary for readers who need the reminders. And let the story flow without so much recap.
Yes! We're back! Also, finally!
After being underwhelmed with the previous InCryptid book, with this one I was back to enjoying the story immensely. As evidenced by the fact that I stayed up until 3 am to finish it in one sitting.
The narration for this one is split between Sarah, who gets a nasty surprise when the Johrlac kidnap her to their home dimension to stand "trial" for her "crimes", and Annie, who narrates the part of the interdimensional rescue party going after Sarah (made up of Annie, Sam, Alice and Thomas - some of my favorite InCryptid characters). We learn some interesting things about Johrlac society and also about the Kairos. And there is finally some resolution to an issue that's been a long time coming.
The book sometimes went a little overboard with bloating the narrative with recap-like explanations, which is why I'm docking a half star. Also, I said it before and I'll say it again. The family trees really need updating. At this point they are hopelessly outdated to the point of being useless. They are missing the whole new generation and half the newer adopted kids/siblings. Instead of bloating the story with reminders of the newer characters (repeating the same phrasings from book to book) - maybe update the family trees, or do a family member glossary for readers who need the reminders. And let the story flow without so much recap.
March 17, 2026
meh. spoilery review, I guess?
This book was a slog.
It furthers the overall plot a smidge, a bare smidge, but mostly reads like a world building exercise with a bit of plot as an excuse to explore. "What would the Cuckoos' home world look like?"
Add to that the badly edited exposition / reminders of past books, often repeated multiple times (we get the "what happened to Artie," story at least three times).
Add to that the fact that characters often recap to each other the events we just read about. they could just say "I brought everyone up to date."
Add to that the constant back and forth between the same handful of destinations and various members of the party getting captured and escaping.
Not to mention the exhaustive ruminations of the characters and their emotions.... there's a point where some asks Sarah a simple question and there are seven paragraphs before her simple answer.
As I said, it's a slog.
it's book 15. Seanan needs to trust her readers who are dedicated enough to read 15 books and four zillion short stories will sorta remember past books . she doesn't need to spoon feed every character background to us. Or she needs to get more skillful at inserting the exposition.
This book was a slog.
It furthers the overall plot a smidge, a bare smidge, but mostly reads like a world building exercise with a bit of plot as an excuse to explore. "What would the Cuckoos' home world look like?"
Add to that the badly edited exposition / reminders of past books, often repeated multiple times (we get the "what happened to Artie," story at least three times).
Add to that the fact that characters often recap to each other the events we just read about. they could just say "I brought everyone up to date."
Add to that the constant back and forth between the same handful of destinations and various members of the party getting captured and escaping.
Not to mention the exhaustive ruminations of the characters and their emotions.... there's a point where some asks Sarah a simple question and there are seven paragraphs before her simple answer.
As I said, it's a slog.
it's book 15. Seanan needs to trust her readers who are dedicated enough to read 15 books and four zillion short stories will sorta remember past books . she doesn't need to spoon feed every character background to us. Or she needs to get more skillful at inserting the exposition.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
This review originally published in Looking For a Good Book. Rated 4.5 of 5
Sarah is an adopted member of the powerful Price family. The Price family have a long history of giving aid to InCryptids (“An animal or other being whose existence has been suggested but is not scientifically proven.”) and adopting many into the family. The Price family also has a long, Hatfield/McCoy type battle going with “the Covenant” – an anti-InCryptid ‘Klan’-like group.
Of course Sarah is a Cryptid, of a species known as “cuckoos” and she is a very powerful telepath. She is also now the Queen of Cuckoos. But in the process of becoming the queen, Sarah made a lot of enemies, hurt a few people, and generally caused some damage – including erasing/changing/overwriting Artie’s identity. As a result, those on her home planet – known as the Johrlac – aren’t too happy and they bring her back to stand trial for her crimes. They also grab Artie to be witness against Sarah for what she’s done.
But she’s a Price family member now and the Price’s don’t take anything lying down so a small group of Sarah’s family and friends head out (extra-dimensionally, don’t you know) on a rescue mission. It’s a tough mission, especially given that no one knows much about the Johrlac.
Let’s be candid here … this series is a lot like a soap opera. That’s not necessarily a bad thing. But what I mean is that there are a LOT of people introduced throughout the series and each story (book) can really only focus on one or two so it takes some almost heroic reading and memory to keep everyone straight. I can’t remember when we last had much to do with Sarah, and I don’t remember the Johrlac at all. But that’s okay, because Seanan McGuire is the sort of author who manages to bring the reader up to speed really quickly, providing everything we need to know to enjoy the current book.
I enjoyed this book the same way I enjoy most Seanan McGuire books. I greatly enjoy being taken to this world she’s so carefully crafted. It feels real, lively, and very, very unique. For all the danger and excitement here, I also feel ‘safe’. I trust that my time will be well spent in the InCryptid world, and it always is.
We learn a lot here about Sarah’s rise to cuckoo Queen and about the Jorhlac. I really appreciated that we see multiple facets to our main character and how the events that saw her rise to power still weigh on her. Of course her friends already knew all of this, which is why they’ve gone to help her. As Elsie Price-Harrington says in the novella following the book (this series always seems to have a novel and a novella/short story between the covers):
Becoming a queen hadn’t been Sarah’s choice – no matter how mad at her I was, I couldn’t ignore the fact that she’d been victimized by her biology as much as Artie and I had sometimes been abused by our own. She’d become a queen because other cuckoos had gone out of their way to hurt her, and then trying to make that out to be something she needed to be punished for wasn’t just cruel, it was utterly ridiculous.
This novella – “We Sing It, Anyway” – is a follow-up to the actions of the novel, by, as mentioned, Elsie. I really appreciate both the wrap-up and the different view point. It’s quite a clever literary device. It’s also, quite likely a bit of story that will be utilized in a future novel.
Looking for a good book? If you enjoy Urban Fantasy, or even just want to see what it’s all about, look no further than Butterfly Effects by Seanan McGuire.
I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher, through Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review.
Sarah is an adopted member of the powerful Price family. The Price family have a long history of giving aid to InCryptids (“An animal or other being whose existence has been suggested but is not scientifically proven.”) and adopting many into the family. The Price family also has a long, Hatfield/McCoy type battle going with “the Covenant” – an anti-InCryptid ‘Klan’-like group.
Of course Sarah is a Cryptid, of a species known as “cuckoos” and she is a very powerful telepath. She is also now the Queen of Cuckoos. But in the process of becoming the queen, Sarah made a lot of enemies, hurt a few people, and generally caused some damage – including erasing/changing/overwriting Artie’s identity. As a result, those on her home planet – known as the Johrlac – aren’t too happy and they bring her back to stand trial for her crimes. They also grab Artie to be witness against Sarah for what she’s done.
But she’s a Price family member now and the Price’s don’t take anything lying down so a small group of Sarah’s family and friends head out (extra-dimensionally, don’t you know) on a rescue mission. It’s a tough mission, especially given that no one knows much about the Johrlac.
Let’s be candid here … this series is a lot like a soap opera. That’s not necessarily a bad thing. But what I mean is that there are a LOT of people introduced throughout the series and each story (book) can really only focus on one or two so it takes some almost heroic reading and memory to keep everyone straight. I can’t remember when we last had much to do with Sarah, and I don’t remember the Johrlac at all. But that’s okay, because Seanan McGuire is the sort of author who manages to bring the reader up to speed really quickly, providing everything we need to know to enjoy the current book.
I enjoyed this book the same way I enjoy most Seanan McGuire books. I greatly enjoy being taken to this world she’s so carefully crafted. It feels real, lively, and very, very unique. For all the danger and excitement here, I also feel ‘safe’. I trust that my time will be well spent in the InCryptid world, and it always is.
We learn a lot here about Sarah’s rise to cuckoo Queen and about the Jorhlac. I really appreciated that we see multiple facets to our main character and how the events that saw her rise to power still weigh on her. Of course her friends already knew all of this, which is why they’ve gone to help her. As Elsie Price-Harrington says in the novella following the book (this series always seems to have a novel and a novella/short story between the covers):
Becoming a queen hadn’t been Sarah’s choice – no matter how mad at her I was, I couldn’t ignore the fact that she’d been victimized by her biology as much as Artie and I had sometimes been abused by our own. She’d become a queen because other cuckoos had gone out of their way to hurt her, and then trying to make that out to be something she needed to be punished for wasn’t just cruel, it was utterly ridiculous.
This novella – “We Sing It, Anyway” – is a follow-up to the actions of the novel, by, as mentioned, Elsie. I really appreciate both the wrap-up and the different view point. It’s quite a clever literary device. It’s also, quite likely a bit of story that will be utilized in a future novel.
Looking for a good book? If you enjoy Urban Fantasy, or even just want to see what it’s all about, look no further than Butterfly Effects by Seanan McGuire.
I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher, through Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review.
August 26, 2025
Electronic ARC provided by Edelweiss.
Sarah's story has been building for a long long time, ever since we first met her back in the early days of this series. Butterfly Effects is the climax of all of the years of build up, and finally delivers some answers and some resolution for Sarah. Seanan McGuire's long running series tend to have a sort of ebb and swell pacing to them where some books are build up, some are cool down, some are questions, some are answers. This is an answers book.
It's been eight years (!) since Sarah became a Cuckoo Queen, destroyed most of the other earth Cuckoos, and accidentally rewrote Artie's identity (and removed the memories of herself from Annie and Sam as well). It's been two years since the Covenant incursion that cost the Price's two beloved family members. Just as things are settling down and Mark (the cuckoo who became an ally) is finally ready to wake up, a group of unknown Johrlac arrive to sweep Sarah away to face "justice" for her crimes against the Cuckoos. Arthur is also snatched, to provide evidence of Sarah's wrongdoing. Of course the rest of the family isn't going to take this sitting down, and so Annie, Sam, Alice, and Thomas embark on an extra-dimensional quest to retrieve their kidnapped relatives.
Over the course of this quest we learn a lot more about Johrlac society and how it is generally meant to work. We also finally get some answers about Sarah, Mark, and the whole Artie/Arthur issue. I was surprised by the sheer amount of time that has passed since this whole storyline started, but reminded myself that InCryptid has always been a multi-generational story.
I enjoyed reading this book, and was especially pleased to see some resolution to a few of the more egregious dangling plot threads. The extra story this time is told by Elsie and follows her reactions to the end of Butterfly Effects. I feel like the series is getting every closer to letting Elsie take center stage, as she's basically the cousin we've seen the least so far. It would also be nice to check in on Verity at some point. And James and Sally. Honestly, there are so many characters now that it's hard to keep up with how all of them are doing!
I'm always glad to spend some time with the sprawling Price clan, and this was no exception. Butterfly Effects is another great installment in the ongoing InCryptid universe.
Sarah's story has been building for a long long time, ever since we first met her back in the early days of this series. Butterfly Effects is the climax of all of the years of build up, and finally delivers some answers and some resolution for Sarah. Seanan McGuire's long running series tend to have a sort of ebb and swell pacing to them where some books are build up, some are cool down, some are questions, some are answers. This is an answers book.
It's been eight years (!) since Sarah became a Cuckoo Queen, destroyed most of the other earth Cuckoos, and accidentally rewrote Artie's identity (and removed the memories of herself from Annie and Sam as well). It's been two years since the Covenant incursion that cost the Price's two beloved family members. Just as things are settling down and Mark (the cuckoo who became an ally) is finally ready to wake up, a group of unknown Johrlac arrive to sweep Sarah away to face "justice" for her crimes against the Cuckoos. Arthur is also snatched, to provide evidence of Sarah's wrongdoing. Of course the rest of the family isn't going to take this sitting down, and so Annie, Sam, Alice, and Thomas embark on an extra-dimensional quest to retrieve their kidnapped relatives.
Over the course of this quest we learn a lot more about Johrlac society and how it is generally meant to work. We also finally get some answers about Sarah, Mark, and the whole Artie/Arthur issue. I was surprised by the sheer amount of time that has passed since this whole storyline started, but reminded myself that InCryptid has always been a multi-generational story.
I enjoyed reading this book, and was especially pleased to see some resolution to a few of the more egregious dangling plot threads. The extra story this time is told by Elsie and follows her reactions to the end of Butterfly Effects. I feel like the series is getting every closer to letting Elsie take center stage, as she's basically the cousin we've seen the least so far. It would also be nice to check in on Verity at some point. And James and Sally. Honestly, there are so many characters now that it's hard to keep up with how all of them are doing!
I'm always glad to spend some time with the sprawling Price clan, and this was no exception. Butterfly Effects is another great installment in the ongoing InCryptid universe.
March 13, 2026
5/5 stars: This is McGuire's fourteenth entry in the InCryptid series, which is a Urban Fantasy. Featuring a woman, who's a member of a species of psychic ambush predators colloquially referred to as “cuckoos,” finds herself and the man she loves taken to her species' home dimension, where the population's controlled by a system of unyielding hiveminds and crime is punishable by erasure, to stand trial for the accidental erasure of his mind and other “crimes.” With both their lives on the line, her family will need to find a way to cross dimensional borders and survive a hostile, telepathic world in order to get both of them back. But no matter what happens, actions have consequences... and she's about to learn that lesson the hard way.
With plenty of plot twists, McGuire has masterfully crafted a non-stop action packed yet heartfelt story with excellent and fascinating world-building. Written in multiple POV, McGuire's whip smart, heartfelt and funny writing and character work are masterful; the characters are well-rounded and complex while remaining incredibly likable with a secondary cast that are well crafted and uniquely voiced. FYI: Each book in this series switches POVs between the different extended members of a Cryptozoologist family as they find love and fight to protect their family and the creatures of the world they study against the forces determined to eradicate them. Also includes a new short story, We Sing It Anyway. I love how McGuire uses shorts to expand the world-building and flesh out and catch up with the characters in the series.
McGuire touches on some tough topics; so take care and CWs. While you could read this as a stand-alone, you'll gain so much more by reading the series from the beginning; so be sure to pick up book one, Discount Armageddon.
I received this eARC thanks to NetGalley and Tor Publishing Group | Tor Books in exchange for an honest review. Publishing dates are subject to change.
With plenty of plot twists, McGuire has masterfully crafted a non-stop action packed yet heartfelt story with excellent and fascinating world-building. Written in multiple POV, McGuire's whip smart, heartfelt and funny writing and character work are masterful; the characters are well-rounded and complex while remaining incredibly likable with a secondary cast that are well crafted and uniquely voiced. FYI: Each book in this series switches POVs between the different extended members of a Cryptozoologist family as they find love and fight to protect their family and the creatures of the world they study against the forces determined to eradicate them. Also includes a new short story, We Sing It Anyway. I love how McGuire uses shorts to expand the world-building and flesh out and catch up with the characters in the series.
McGuire touches on some tough topics; so take care and CWs. While you could read this as a stand-alone, you'll gain so much more by reading the series from the beginning; so be sure to pick up book one, Discount Armageddon.
I received this eARC thanks to NetGalley and Tor Publishing Group | Tor Books in exchange for an honest review. Publishing dates are subject to change.
March 23, 2026
I went into Butterfly Effects without having read the earlier books in the series, and honestly, I think it still does a solid job of getting new readers up to speed. I never felt completely lost or like I was missing anything critical, which I really appreciated. That said, it did feel like there were layers to the world and characters that I would have understood more deeply if I’d started from the beginning.
One of the things I found most interesting was the exploration of the Johrlac species on their home planet, especially seeing how different they are from the versions that were expelled and now live on other planets. That contrast added a really compelling layer to the story and made the world feel bigger and more complex.
I also liked that the story used two points of view. Having both Sarah’s perspective while she’s being held prisoner and Antimony’s as she travels with Alice, Thomas, and Sam to rescue her helped give the story a wider scope. It balanced things well and kept the overall structure engaging.
The pacing is where it didn’t fully land for me. At times it felt like a lot was happening, but we weren’t really moving forward. Annie’s chapters especially leaned more into explaining the world than progressing the plot. I understand why that was needed, but those sections did drag a bit. I listened to the audiobook, and I also wish the character voices had been more distinct.
Even coming into this series late, I still really enjoyed the book. I’ve liked other work by Seanan McGuire, so I went in expecting to enjoy it, and that held true here. More than anything, this made me want to go back and read the earlier books so I can fully appreciate everything this story is building on.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with an advance reader copy of Butterfly Effects in exchange for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
One of the things I found most interesting was the exploration of the Johrlac species on their home planet, especially seeing how different they are from the versions that were expelled and now live on other planets. That contrast added a really compelling layer to the story and made the world feel bigger and more complex.
I also liked that the story used two points of view. Having both Sarah’s perspective while she’s being held prisoner and Antimony’s as she travels with Alice, Thomas, and Sam to rescue her helped give the story a wider scope. It balanced things well and kept the overall structure engaging.
The pacing is where it didn’t fully land for me. At times it felt like a lot was happening, but we weren’t really moving forward. Annie’s chapters especially leaned more into explaining the world than progressing the plot. I understand why that was needed, but those sections did drag a bit. I listened to the audiobook, and I also wish the character voices had been more distinct.
Even coming into this series late, I still really enjoyed the book. I’ve liked other work by Seanan McGuire, so I went in expecting to enjoy it, and that held true here. More than anything, this made me want to go back and read the earlier books so I can fully appreciate everything this story is building on.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with an advance reader copy of Butterfly Effects in exchange for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Butterfly Effects
An InCryptid Novel
by Seanan McGuire
Narrated by Emily Bauer
I received an ARC of this audiobook through Netgalley.
Trigger Warnings: Mental death, identity confusion, fire, death by fire, giant spider (but he’s a really good guy - I promise!)
This is the 15th book in the Incryptid book series and I love this series as much and more than I did with the first book. I fell hard in love with this series right off the bat and have never regretted it.
This book is sometimes from Sarah Zellaby’s POV and sometimes from Antimone (Annie) Price’s POV
Sarah is a Cuckoo, or a wasp that looks like a human, or a Johrlac that isn’t an asshole or just simply, Sarah. She’s a Queen, a telepath, and a telekinetic. She’s also a really good person who always tries to do the right thing.
Annie is a sorcerer and possibly another species too and a human, and most importantly, she’s a Price, and that means she cares for the preservation of all life forms and species as long as they aren’t assholes trying to kill good people - malicious killers often forfeit their lives to fire. Her loyalty to her family is immense, as long as she remembers them.
On a seemingly normal day in our world some beings from another realm snatch Sarah and Arthur (the person now in Artie’s body) in order for Sarah to stand trial for breaking laws that she didn’t even know existed. The usual madness, chaos, emotional roller coaster, and family loyalty ensue, and it is so fun!!
I picture every character and every realm so vividly in my mind and I love all of it. I wouldn’t want to lead their crazy lives, but I sure as heck love reading about them!!!
Highly, highly, highly recommend!!!
An InCryptid Novel
by Seanan McGuire
Narrated by Emily Bauer
I received an ARC of this audiobook through Netgalley.
Trigger Warnings: Mental death, identity confusion, fire, death by fire, giant spider (but he’s a really good guy - I promise!)
This is the 15th book in the Incryptid book series and I love this series as much and more than I did with the first book. I fell hard in love with this series right off the bat and have never regretted it.
This book is sometimes from Sarah Zellaby’s POV and sometimes from Antimone (Annie) Price’s POV
Sarah is a Cuckoo, or a wasp that looks like a human, or a Johrlac that isn’t an asshole or just simply, Sarah. She’s a Queen, a telepath, and a telekinetic. She’s also a really good person who always tries to do the right thing.
Annie is a sorcerer and possibly another species too and a human, and most importantly, she’s a Price, and that means she cares for the preservation of all life forms and species as long as they aren’t assholes trying to kill good people - malicious killers often forfeit their lives to fire. Her loyalty to her family is immense, as long as she remembers them.
On a seemingly normal day in our world some beings from another realm snatch Sarah and Arthur (the person now in Artie’s body) in order for Sarah to stand trial for breaking laws that she didn’t even know existed. The usual madness, chaos, emotional roller coaster, and family loyalty ensue, and it is so fun!!
I picture every character and every realm so vividly in my mind and I love all of it. I wouldn’t want to lead their crazy lives, but I sure as heck love reading about them!!!
Highly, highly, highly recommend!!!
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
In this latest InCryptid novel, we’re back to Sarah’s point of view, dealing with the ongoing repercussions of what happened to Artie in Calculated Risks. The Johrlac, members of Sarah’s species from their home dimension, abduct her and take her back to put her on trial for the crimes of reaching a forbidden instar and the erasure and revision of another being – and they abduct Arthur too, to serve as evidence. But you know the family’s not going to take the capture of two of their own lying down.
I think that this book might be the first in the series to have multiple POVs? We start with Sarah, but once Sarah is abducted we switch to Annie, so that we can see what happens with the rescue party. In this book we visit a new dimension, which provides an opportunity to explore some interesting worldbuilding. I thought the Johrlac world was really interesting – the society is the natural extension of a world built by sapient bipeds who evolved from wasps, while the natural world is something that would have caused such a species to evolve in the first place (though if they explained why the Johrlac evolved to look mammalian on a world without mammals, I must have missed that part.) I liked that we have Thomas and Alice in the rescue party, since I feel like we’re still getting to know Thomas.
The short story at the end is from Elsie’s POV, one which we haven’t had in a main story yet, and takes place immediately after the novel. And saying anything beyond that would be extremely spoilery, so I won’t.
I received an advance copy of this ebook from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
I think that this book might be the first in the series to have multiple POVs? We start with Sarah, but once Sarah is abducted we switch to Annie, so that we can see what happens with the rescue party. In this book we visit a new dimension, which provides an opportunity to explore some interesting worldbuilding. I thought the Johrlac world was really interesting – the society is the natural extension of a world built by sapient bipeds who evolved from wasps, while the natural world is something that would have caused such a species to evolve in the first place (though if they explained why the Johrlac evolved to look mammalian on a world without mammals, I must have missed that part.) I liked that we have Thomas and Alice in the rescue party, since I feel like we’re still getting to know Thomas.
The short story at the end is from Elsie’s POV, one which we haven’t had in a main story yet, and takes place immediately after the novel. And saying anything beyond that would be extremely spoilery, so I won’t.
I received an advance copy of this ebook from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
May 11, 2026
Reading the latest in any of Seanan McGuire's series is always a joy. The first book I read of hers was the first InCrypted book, and I think it's my favorite series, though October Daye is close.
This time, there are two narrators. It's mostly Sarah's story, but Antimony also is first person. Sarah and Arthur are kidnapped by Johrlacs, the species Sarah comes from, and taken to their dimension/planet/whatever. They want to put her on trial for destroying Artie's mind and reconstructing Arthur in his body. (You have to be up to date on the series; the books do not stand alone.) Antimony, Sam (her monkey-like boyfriend), and their grandparents Alice and Thomas (who don't seem any older than them; again, you have to read the other books first) set out to find and rescue them. Other characters are also involved, and the book moves the whole family story along nicely. The book, as always, includes a related novella at the end. That gives, I think, the closest look we've ever had at Elsie, Artie/Arthur's sister. And a good dose of Mary, the ghost babysitter.
Sarah has always been one of my favorite characters. In this book, she's coming to terms with being a Johrlac queen with various superpowers, all based on the Johrlac love of math. Being at the Johrlac's home, she learns more about what can be done with those powers, for better and worse. It will be interesting to see how this affects the family's tangent in the next books. I've been wanting more Verity, who we barely get a glimpse of here, but I will follow the story wherever McGuire decides to go with it. I just hope she does it soon.
This time, there are two narrators. It's mostly Sarah's story, but Antimony also is first person. Sarah and Arthur are kidnapped by Johrlacs, the species Sarah comes from, and taken to their dimension/planet/whatever. They want to put her on trial for destroying Artie's mind and reconstructing Arthur in his body. (You have to be up to date on the series; the books do not stand alone.) Antimony, Sam (her monkey-like boyfriend), and their grandparents Alice and Thomas (who don't seem any older than them; again, you have to read the other books first) set out to find and rescue them. Other characters are also involved, and the book moves the whole family story along nicely. The book, as always, includes a related novella at the end. That gives, I think, the closest look we've ever had at Elsie, Artie/Arthur's sister. And a good dose of Mary, the ghost babysitter.
Sarah has always been one of my favorite characters. In this book, she's coming to terms with being a Johrlac queen with various superpowers, all based on the Johrlac love of math. Being at the Johrlac's home, she learns more about what can be done with those powers, for better and worse. It will be interesting to see how this affects the family's tangent in the next books. I've been wanting more Verity, who we barely get a glimpse of here, but I will follow the story wherever McGuire decides to go with it. I just hope she does it soon.
March 13, 2026
In every sense, this is a wonderful addition to one of my favorite fantasy series. We get to revisit Sarah, and the problem with Artie gets resolved in a very satisfying way. I really enjoyed this one, and I really enjoyed revisiting these characters. I don’t mind all explanations and reminders, as some of the other reviewers seem to, because it’s been years, and I was happy to be reminded of some things I might otherwise have forgotten. I guess if you were binge-reading the series, you could have done without them.
One thing, though, takes away from this for me. I’ve removed one star because of it. It’s a problem I’ve run into with Seanan McGuire books in the past, and it annoys me to no end that it continues to happen. She apparently included a short story at the end of the book that provided some satisfying closure to one of the ongoing issues in the overarching storyline. I listen to audiobooks. If I had to read all my books in the old-fashioned way, I wouldn’t have much time to read at all, so I’m very grateful for Audible. It might be part of a large cold-blooded corporation, but it has, nevertheless, enriched my life. Just don’t tell Jeff Bezos. Anyway, the producers of the audiobook saw fit to leave the short story out. If I fully vent my feelings about that, I would have to swear a blue streak, so I guess I won’t. They never listen anyway.
Despite that one flaw, I enjoyed this book a great deal. I’ve been reading some heavy-duty nonfiction lately, so this was a nice palate cleanser.
One thing, though, takes away from this for me. I’ve removed one star because of it. It’s a problem I’ve run into with Seanan McGuire books in the past, and it annoys me to no end that it continues to happen. She apparently included a short story at the end of the book that provided some satisfying closure to one of the ongoing issues in the overarching storyline. I listen to audiobooks. If I had to read all my books in the old-fashioned way, I wouldn’t have much time to read at all, so I’m very grateful for Audible. It might be part of a large cold-blooded corporation, but it has, nevertheless, enriched my life. Just don’t tell Jeff Bezos. Anyway, the producers of the audiobook saw fit to leave the short story out. If I fully vent my feelings about that, I would have to swear a blue streak, so I guess I won’t. They never listen anyway.
Despite that one flaw, I enjoyed this book a great deal. I’ve been reading some heavy-duty nonfiction lately, so this was a nice palate cleanser.
March 5, 2026
I hadn’t read the earlier books in this series, but Butterfly Effects does a solid job getting you up to speed. I never felt lost or like I was missing something crucial, which I appreciated. That said, I do think I might have gotten a little more out of the world if I’d read the previous books first.
Seanan McGuire’s imagination is wild in the best way. She comes up with these strange, clever ideas that feel fresh and fun to explore. The giant “wasp” people are a perfect example. They look just like humans but all have a very similar appearance (no wings), but they still have those unmistakable wasp tendencies. It’s such a weird and cool concept. I love seeing what kinds of ideas she comes up with.
The pacing is where things stumbled a bit for me. At times it felt like a lot is happening but also like we weren't getting anywhere. Annie’s chapters especially felt like they were there mostly to explain the world. I understand the need for world buiding, but those sections dragged a little. I listened to the audiobook, and I also wish the two character voices had been a bit more distinct. There were several moments where I had to pause and think about whether I was listening to Annie or Sarah.
There are some really cool ideas here and a unique world to explore, but the way the story unfolds didn’t quite click for me. I liked it. I just didn’t end up loving it.
Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for an advanced copy of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.
Seanan McGuire’s imagination is wild in the best way. She comes up with these strange, clever ideas that feel fresh and fun to explore. The giant “wasp” people are a perfect example. They look just like humans but all have a very similar appearance (no wings), but they still have those unmistakable wasp tendencies. It’s such a weird and cool concept. I love seeing what kinds of ideas she comes up with.
The pacing is where things stumbled a bit for me. At times it felt like a lot is happening but also like we weren't getting anywhere. Annie’s chapters especially felt like they were there mostly to explain the world. I understand the need for world buiding, but those sections dragged a little. I listened to the audiobook, and I also wish the two character voices had been a bit more distinct. There were several moments where I had to pause and think about whether I was listening to Annie or Sarah.
There are some really cool ideas here and a unique world to explore, but the way the story unfolds didn’t quite click for me. I liked it. I just didn’t end up loving it.
Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for an advanced copy of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.
March 21, 2026
*ARC generously provided by the publisher via NetGalley*
I consistently don't love books that are told from Sarah's POV. I don't mind her as a character but I don't like being in her head. She's just not a compelling character for me. It was struggle for me to get through his book. Even splitting the book with Annie's POV couldn't save it for me. It was interesting to have a book in the InCryptid world that didn't feature The Covenant of Saint George AT ALL. The Johrlac show up and kidnap Sarah and Arthur to "try her for her crimes" to which the Prices take offense, because duh. Annie, Sam, Alice and Thomas make the journey to get them both back and encounter a bunch of trouble along the way.
I was able to fly through the chapters from Annie's POV but then had to force myself at times to read through Sarah's chapters. She's just not interesting to me, and kept falling for traps and betrayals too easily. Overall the story wrapped up nicely and hopefully we won't be making a return trip to Johrlar.
As apathetic as I felt about the main story, the real star here was the novella at the end. It's told from Elsie's POV and I teared up twice. Lots of emotions and story and character development there. I'm a little jaded that I loved the 50 page novella more than the 360 page story I just read. Give me the next book from Elsie's POV please!!
I consistently don't love books that are told from Sarah's POV. I don't mind her as a character but I don't like being in her head. She's just not a compelling character for me. It was struggle for me to get through his book. Even splitting the book with Annie's POV couldn't save it for me. It was interesting to have a book in the InCryptid world that didn't feature The Covenant of Saint George AT ALL. The Johrlac show up and kidnap Sarah and Arthur to "try her for her crimes" to which the Prices take offense, because duh. Annie, Sam, Alice and Thomas make the journey to get them both back and encounter a bunch of trouble along the way.
I was able to fly through the chapters from Annie's POV but then had to force myself at times to read through Sarah's chapters. She's just not interesting to me, and kept falling for traps and betrayals too easily. Overall the story wrapped up nicely and hopefully we won't be making a return trip to Johrlar.
As apathetic as I felt about the main story, the real star here was the novella at the end. It's told from Elsie's POV and I teared up twice. Lots of emotions and story and character development there. I'm a little jaded that I loved the 50 page novella more than the 360 page story I just read. Give me the next book from Elsie's POV please!!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 81 reviews