Butterfly Effects by Seanan McGuire is the fifteenth novel in the InCrytid series. This urban fantasy series follows the Price family, cryptozoologists who study and protect the creatures living in secret all around us. Narrated by Emily Bauer, our Cuckoo, Sarah finds herself abducted to the planet of the Johrlac, and her family heads out to save her. McGuire delivered everything I love about this series.
by Seanan McGuire
Series: InCryptid #15
Length: 13 hours and 52 minutes
Genres: Urban Fantasy
Source: Audible
Purchase*: Amazon | Audible | Libro.fm *affiliate
Narration: 5 cups Speed: 1.45x
Chaos,
1. The inherent unpredictability in the behavior of a complex natural system.
Chaos theory,
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.
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.
About Seanan McGuire
Seanan McGuire is a native Californian, which has resulted in her being exceedingly laid-back about venomous wildlife, and terrified of weather. When not writing urban fantasy (as herself) and science fiction thrillers (as Mira Grant), she likes to watch way too many horror movies, wander around in swamps, record albums of original music, and harass her cats. Seanan is the author of the October Daye, InCryptid, and Indexing series of urban fantasies; the Newsflesh trilogy; the Parasitology duology; and the "Velveteen vs." superhero shorts. Her cats, Lilly, Alice, and Thomas, are plotting world domination even as we speak, but are easily distracted by feathers on sticks, so mankind is probably safe. For now.
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About Kimberly
Kimberly is a coffee loving book addict who reads and listens to fictional stories in all genres. Whovian, Ravenclaw, Howler and proud Nonna. She owns and manages Caffeinated PR. The coffee is always on and she is ready to chat. BlueSky | Facebook | Instagram
