Review of Half-Off Ragnarok by Seanan McGuire. Half-Off Ragnarok is book 3 in the InCryptid series. We follow Alex who is a zoologist who helps cryptid individuals of his local community.
My review of Half-Off Ragnarok by Seanan McGuire
I enjoyed the Half-Off Ragnarok. The world-building and the crypto society is inventive and interesting. I love the snake people they are awesome! And the gorgons are really neat. The mice also makes an appearance, which is of course fun.
My review from 2024 of Half-Off Ragnarok by Seanan McGuire
Title: Half-Off Ragnarok
Author: Seanan McGuire
Series: InCryptid, book 3
Genre: Urban fantasy
Let me start by saying that I enjoyed Half-Off Ragnarok. I am yet to read a Seanan McGuire book that I did not enjoy. This was however not my favourite. The story line from a plot point of view, could easily have been a novella. That is not to say that I think there was a lot of filler. It just wasn’t a very complicated plot.
On the other hand the relationship between Alex and his colleague Shelby Tanner is front and center. It is a lovely courtship rather than a romance plot (not fake complications keeping them apart).
As always the world-building and the crypto society is inventive and imaginative. I love the snake people they are awesome! And the gorgons are really neat.
I have to say that it took me some time to get used to the fact that the protagonist was Alex Price, the brother of the protagonist of the first two books. While it is very normal in epic fantasy to shift protagonist, it normally does not happen in the urban fantasy genre. Urban fantasy books, much like like crime novels, tend to be the protagonist’s story that carries the series, rather than a metaplot. Most urban fantasy series is even named after their protagonist. InCryptid follows the Pierce family rather than individual characters. And that surprised me.
It has been a few weeks since I read Half-Off Ragnarok and I forgot to write a bit of notes, so this what you get from me this time. The book is enjoyable but not my favourite in the series. I am however looking forward to reading more about Alex in the next book – oh and Sarah, love Sarah! And of course the mice, mustn’t forget the mice.
The stats: Half-Off Ragnarok
Published: 2014 by DAW
Length: 356 pages
Read: March 14 to 26, 2014
Author: Female, white, disabled, queer, USA
The protagonists: Alex Price, male, straight, adult, cryptologist, zoologist, able-bodied.
This review was originally posted: April 11, 2014. Updated and edited July 1, 2023
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