by Seanan McGuire
Series: InCryptid, #4
Narrator: Ray Porter
Length: 10 hours and 39 minutes
Genres: Urban Fantasy
Source: Purchase
Purchase*: Amazon | Audible *affiliate
Narration: 4 cups
Endangered, adjective: Threatened with extinction or immediate harm.
Australia, noun: A good place to become endangered.Alexander Price has survived gorgons, basilisks, and his own family—no small feat, considering that his family includes two telepaths, a reanimated corpse, and a colony of talking, pantheistic mice. Still, he’s starting to feel like he’s got the hang of things…at least until his girlfriend, Shelby Tanner, shows up asking pointed questions about werewolves and the state of his passport. From there, it’s just a hop, skip, and a jump to Australia, a continent filled with new challenges, new dangers, and yes, rival cryptozoologists who don’t like their “visiting expert” very much.
Australia is a cryptozoologist’s dream, filled with unique species and unique challenges. Unfortunately, it’s also filled with Shelby’s family, who aren’t delighted by the length of her stay in America. And then there are the werewolves to consider: infected killing machines who would like nothing more than to claim the continent as their own. The continent which currently includes Alex.
Survival is hard enough when you’re on familiar ground. Alex Price is very far from home, but there’s one thing he knows for sure: he’s not going down without a fight.
Pocket Apocalypse by Seanan McGuire is the fourth book in the urban fantasy InCryptid series and continues with Alex’s POV. Alex and Shelby go Down Under when there is an outbreak of lycanthropy. Forget sexy, shape-shifting wolves these creatures are deadly.
Alex has a history with lycanthropy and he seriously hates werewolves. However, he refuses not to honor Shelby’s request to help her family and the Thirty-Six Society. When they arrive, Alex receives a downright hostile reception. From the beginning tensions were high. Alex has brought a small colony of Aeslin mice with him. He finds himself blindfolded before being taken to Shelby’s home. Snark, Price digs, and distrust kept things interesting as did the outbreak. Leave it to McGuire to bring the unexpected.
Fascinating creatures, loss, danger, and family kept me listening. The story developed into quite the mystery as it soon appears Shelby’s family is a target. Can I say, the Thirty-six Society is almost as bad as the Covenant of St. George?
Alex’s experience with a lycanthropy outbreak is similar to those you might have read in Mira Grant’s Newsflesh series as it deals with a virus outbreak. Any mammal large enough can be affected, and this includes some species of cryptids. Once bitten the victim if infected usually experience their first change in about twenty-eight days. Once changed they have only one goal and that is to kill. However, Alex quickly discovers something is VERY different about this outbreak.
A thread involving the Aeslin mice was intriguing, and we learned something new about these worshiping cryptids. Despite Shelby’s warm and loving family (insert snark) we do see relationship development between Alex and Shelby.
Poor Alex. Shelby’s family openly call him names and cannot see past his families ties to the Covenant not to mention how he and his family act towards monsters. Snark, name-calling, and faceoffs are plentiful. It brought a human aspect to the story. Here they are facing possible death, and they are bickering. Gotta love family.
If you haven’t yet started the InCryptid series, I recommend starting from the beginning or at least jumping in at the beginning of a POV change. The next book takes us back to Verity Price’s POV and this time she is on the West Coast. The series has an incredible amount of novellas, which I have not attempted. Personally, I am holding out for an audio collection or at the very least an ebook collection.
The series is perfect for listening on audio, and thus far the narrators have been fantastic. Their voices capture the characters, creatures and intense plotline. Ray Porter narrates Alex’s POV, and I think he helped enhance our science geek’s personality.
I laughed, held my breath, wept like a baby and was biting my nails as Pocket Apocalypse unfolded. The outbreak was intense, and I enjoyed learning about the Australian 36ers. I won’t be joining them anytime soon. Thank you very much. It was fun traveling abroad, and we did meet some unusual creatures. The story wrapped up nicely, but I am happy Alex and Shelby are returning to Ohio.
[bctt tweet=”I laughed, held my breath, wept like a baby and was biting my nails as Pocket Apocalypse by Seanan McGuire unfolded. #audio #urban #downunder” username=”kimbacaffeinate”]
Reading this book contributed to these challenges:
Mary @StackingMyBookShelves!
This sounds like a great book. Tear jerking – yes! I don’t think many books can do that to me so this has me really curious. Great review! Another to add to my list of must reads.
Mary
Kimberly
Oh, I get caught up in the characters and yes I cried when something happened.
Kristen @ Metaphors and Moonlight
This is a series I’d like to try. I wouldn’t have expected it to be a tear-jerker, but all the more reason to read it if it’s got lots of emotion!
Kimberly
It is one scene and yep I cried like a baby. You become attached to the err characters.
Stefanie
*clicks the “like” button*
Kimberly
Hehe. Happy Monday!
MarthaE
Good review – as always. Glad you are enjoying the series.
(BTW the link from Sunday’s post did not work for me.)
Thanks for sharing.
Kimberly
Hi Martha, I switched hosts this morning and things were moving. What link didn’t work? Mister Linky?
Blodeuedd
I do love MCguire, but I did not fully connect to this series, and as it stands it is book…3? I should read..or 2
Kimberly
It switches POVs in book 2, so yes give it another go.
Tyler H. Jolley
“And survived his family,” LOL. Something anyone (especially with a bunch of summer reunions on the horizon) can relate to!
Kimberly
Bwahaha…yes indeed Tyler.
Sophia Rose
I chuckle each time I see your next review on the series because these titles are killing me. Oh, poor Alex getting a heavy dose of the family. The world sounds fascinating. Definitely going to read these at some point.
Kimberly
LOL, I cannot wait to see what you think.
Heidi
My library doesn’t have these on audio, boo! I am going to start reading the first book tonight!
Kimberly
Yay, I hope you enjoy it. I adore the mice.
Mary Kirkland
I do love those Aeslin mice.
Kimberly
Yes me too.
Debbie Haupt
I saw this reviewed on another blog site I visit, looks like i’ll be putting yet another series on my wish list. Thanks Kim
Kimberly
Yay, that is awesome Debbie.
Lily
been eyeing this series myself for a long time, good to hear that it’s awesome on audio! Maybe it be next after I finish Iron Druid
Kimberly
I am all caught up and just listened to the newest release. It really is a fun series, Lily.
Vanessa
The cover reminds me of a mobile game called Temple Run, hehe. This one sounds really good Kim. Need to check out this series 😉
Kimberly
LOL. Yes.
Ailyn Koay
how to make stories more interesting: move them to Aussie land, where the Sheila’s family is more dangerous than bird- eating- spiders ~~
Sheila means woman, by the way….
Kimberly
Yes, I knew that 🙂
Melliane
Oh yes the meeting was so much fun
Kimberly
Agreed. Have a lovely weekend!
Cindy
You know that I have this series on my audible wish list and next months credit is for the first book:) Great review Kimberly!
Kimberly
Woot!