Midnight Blue-Light Special (InCryptid Book 2)

by Seanan McGuire

Ebook, 2013

Status

Available

Call number

813.6

Publication

DAW (2013), 369 pages

Description

Fantasy. Fiction. Romance. HTML:The second book in New York Times-bestselling Seanan McGuire's witty urban fantasy InCryptid series about a family of cryptozoologists who act as a buffer between humans and the magical creatures living in secret around us. "The only thing more fun than an October Daye book is an InCryptid book." �Charlaine Harris, #1 New York Times-bestselling author of Sookie Stackhouse series Normal, adjective: Conforming to the standard or common type. See also "ordinary." Abnormal, adjective: Deviating from the common type, such as playing monster-human on the rooftops of Manhattan. See also "Verity Price." The Price family has spent generations studying the monsters of the world, working to protect them from humanity�and to protect humanity from them. Verity Price is just trying to do her job, keeping the native cryptid population of Manhattan from getting into trouble, and doing a little ballroom dancing on the side. Enter Dominic De Luca, an operative for the Covenant of St. George, and Verity's on-again, off-again boyfriend. When he tells her that the Covenant is sending a full team to assess how ready the city is for a purge, Verity finds herself between a rock and a hard place. Stay, and risk her almost-certain death, or flee, and leave the cryptids of New York with nothing between them and the Covenant. With allies and enemies on every side, and no safe way to turn, it's going to take some quickstepping for Verity to waltz out of this one. There's just one question on everyone's mind: Is this the last dance for Verity Price? .… (more)

User reviews

LibraryThing member TheDivineOomba

This book is fun, is full of great, over the top characters, interesting magic creatures, and a plot that doesn't stop, everything a person could want for in a book of this sort.

Verity is bright, smart, has family, has friends, isn't a loner, but conflicted about her career choice, join the family

business (which is keeping cryptids safe from humanity) or live the dream of becoming a professional dancer. With her supernatural killing boyfriend, and best friend, kind of socio-path cousin, it makes for a good story.

But... but. It the world doesn't make sense. There seems to be a lot of creatures that are intelligent, but not human. Take for example Sarah.... She is some sort of bug thing that works by blending in so well, no one notices her. Why would a bug thing need to evolve to look human - if she is so physic, it shouldn't matter. And there are a lot things like that in this book. It be nice for at least the non-mammals types to act more alien... And there are so many species of intelligent creatures - the humans of this world should be more aware of what is around them. Gah. If I think about it too hard, it makes my brain hurt. And that is why this book is fun, but hard to take seriously.

Show Less

24 more

LibraryThing member raselyem7

Continues to be an excellent series. Good urban fantasy that innovates on the conventions.

LibraryThing member Isisunit

The second of the InCryptid novels, Ms. McGuire has upped the ante and taken a really great world and expanded upon it in entertainingly unexpected ways. The emotional roller coaster that Verity, her friends, and co-workers undergo is as exciting as it is volatile.

Verity's worst fears have come to

pass - the Covenant is sending a team to NYC to inspect her boyfriend Dominic's reports/work, and determine how many will be needed to conduct a full-fledged purge.

Once again we are treated to another rollicking adventure through a New York City few humans have ever been aware of - at least not for more than the few minutes it takes them to die. Of course there are humans that work side by side with cryptids and know exactly what they are, but they a few in numbers and certainly don't go around spreading tales about their lives with the cryptids.

Ms. McGuire continues to develop an astounding world, peopled (& creatured) with some truly enjoyable characters. There is mayhem & mischief galore, as well as tender romance and steamy personal relationship building exorcizes. Another coup for Ms. McGuire's latest series. And apparently we get to meet more of the family since the next book or two will focus on a family member other than Verity. For anyone worried about missing Verity, never fear as I'm sure there will still be plenty Aeslin mice!!

Show Less

LibraryThing member Capnrandm

Review courtesy of All Things Urban Fantasy.
allthingsuf.com

MIDNIGHT BLUE-LIGHT SPECIAL is one of those rare sequels that outshines even its predecessor, offering non-stop cryptid comedy as Verity prepares to thwart the Covenant in her own backyard. Well paced action in parallel with laugh out loud

moments had me giggling, snorting, and reading excerpts to everyone within earshot.

Rather than being the type of series that continually leaves the reader hanging, it is clear that McGuire is building something here. The foundation from DISCOUNT ARMAGEDDON gave context to Verity’s love life, but even readers new to the InCryptid series won’t have a hard time getting up to speed in this richly described supernatural world. Dominic and Verity both have some dramatic life choices to make, but those weighty issues pop up organically in a plot that mainly focuses on Verity’s hilarious inner monologue regarding cryptid species’ idiosyncrasies and family history. The imminent Covenant threat had all the characters out of their comfort zone, which meant introducing a carnivorous waheela to the Aeslin mice, bargaining with pregnant Dragon princesses, and strategizing on how to hide a preternatural titty bar where gorgons dance the cancan from a religious organization who has vowed to wipe all monsters from the earth. In short, awesomeness from start to finish.

In a book that lavishes attention on the characteristics of cryptids, it’s clear that the Prices and Healys are their own special breed. The distinct talents of this family caused a twist I didn’t expect and the Covenant conflict culminated in some significant character changes that I can’t wait to follow into book three. A comprehensive field guild to the preternatural ecosystem of New York City, anyone with a taste for the weird and the clever is going to love MIDNIGHT BLUE-LIGHT SPECIAL.

Sexual Content: References to sex, a non graphic sex scene.

Show Less

LibraryThing member SunnySD

Verity Price only has about a month left in New York City and a life-changing decision looming on her personal horizon: pursue a professional career as a dancer, or quite her night job, go back to Portland, and take up the family profession - hunting and cataloging Cryptids. With an apartment full

of talking mice, a boyfriend who works for the opposition, and a telepathic mathematician to look after, Very is very, very busy... and then the Covenant comes to town, and suddenly all her previous problems seem very small indeed.

Action-packed and fast moving. I'm really liking this series!

Show Less

LibraryThing member devilwrites

My Review: 9 - Couldn't Put It Down

Saving the best for last: I enjoyed the hell out of last year's Discount Armageddon, and was looking forward to see what the second installment had to bring. The answer: more of the same super fun read, but the book does take a SERIOUS turn for the SERIOUS, which

makes it all the richer. But the voice of the book remains super-fun, even in its dark moments. The Aeslin Mice continue to entertain, as does Ista, lover of carnage. The POV is split between Verity and Sarah, the latter being a welcome addition to the book, and both characters are faced with making epic decisions that will affect the rest of their lives. I'll be honest: I couldn't put this down. I know that's the rating, but still, it's true. What else is there to say? Other than the fact I totally hate how awesome McGuire makes Gingerbread Pudding's hot chocolate and actual gingerbread sound. It's no fair that I get to read how awesome something is, but not actually eat it. If I have any criticism, it's that. Everything else? Was a delight, even when it made me squirm uncomfortably in my seat.

And the cover? HAIL! I want Verity's haircut. :)

Show Less

LibraryThing member WeaselOfDoom

"Midnight Blue-Light Special" picks up a few months after the events of "Discount Armageddon", with cryptozoologist and aspiring professional ballroom dancer Verity Price still trying to figure out what she wants to do with her life (and where Dominic de Luca, agent of the Covenant and technically

an enemy, fits into it). Then Dominic finds out that the Covenant is sending more agents to see if there is a need to purge New York, and things go downhill from there.

We get into the head of Sarah, Verity's cuckoo cousin; meet another cryptozoologist; observe more Aeslin mice religious ceremonies (the mice are great, as usual (and one of their for Dominic, "the God of Absolutely Never Smiling, No, Not Ever" had me in stitches, because yes, that is Dominic to a T); and spend time with Ryan the tanuki and his girlfriend Istas the Gothic Lolita waheela (the two are adorable together).

{slightly spoilerish} - I liked the irony of Sarah, a member of the most dreaded species of cryptids, being helpless and relying on human Verity for survival (and that when she did embrace her "evil" heritage, it almost broke her). Sarah is a triumph of nurture over nature :)

This second installment is darker than the first, but there is McGuire's trademark humor, too. I enjoyed the book, and devoured it in two nights. I do have a minor nitpick with editing - some things were repeated multiple times within two or three pages, which made me go "hey, didn't I just read this thought a minute ago?"

The next two books will be about Verity's brother Alex. I can't wait!

Show Less

LibraryThing member omnia_mutantur

Once again, as always, Seanan McGuire creates delightful worlds with improbably real people in them. She writes the subtly off-key thinking of her non-human species with a deft hand

I hope she mines this universe for all its worth, because I can't wait.

LibraryThing member callmecayce

It seems I love basically everything Seanan McGuire has written, and this book is no exception. I love Verity and her world and all the characters found within it. As usual, McGuire's writing is strong, her plot is clever and full of nifty twists. Once again, I like that she doesn't pull her

punches, actions have consequences and sometimes things work out -- but not without a price of one sort or another. I look forward to from this world.

Show Less

LibraryThing member bgknighton

Just as fun as the last one. Verity is just as determined as before, her cousin gets lots of screen time (are cuckoos really that bad?), Dominic has a life of his own, he is not just a foil for her, decisions are made....

LibraryThing member readinggeek451

Verity's Covenant boyfriend warns her that the Covenant of St. George is sending a delegation to New York to determine if it's time to begin the purge. Verity warns all of her cryptid friends and prepares for a siege. But can Dominic be trusted?

LibraryThing member vanhelsingboombox

1.5 stars. More of the same problems I had with the first one (infodumps, painful dialogue, grating protagonist) only, y'know, somehow worse. I won't be reading any more books from this series, even with the protagonist change. The Price family are not my cup of tea.

LibraryThing member jjmcgaffey

That's good. Well, it's a Seanan, of course it's good - and of course I read it in one sitting. Verity had a lot of fun (and, ok, a lot of trouble and sorrow and danger) last time - but now it's serious. The Covenant is coming, and the questions - about Dominic and his actual allegiances, and about

Verity's future and career - all come to a point. The crises get a lot more severe, and wide-spread. And a lot of people learn more about themselves and others than they really wanted to know. Verity gets off relatively lightly - she just has to make the decision she came to New York to make. Dominic has to choose sides, once and for all - and Sarah learns more about her own capabilities than she can handle, at least in the short term. Yay, next please - which, we're told, won't feature Verity but her brother instead.

Show Less

LibraryThing member teckelvik

This is the second volume of the InCryptid series. The Covenant of St. George, sworn enemy of Verity Price's entire family, has decided to come to New York. They are planning a purge of all non-human species, and Verity sets out to stop them, with the help of family, friends, and random others.

Pretty good, although Verity pushes the very edge of disbelief in her "ordinary human" capabilities.

Show Less

LibraryThing member soireadthisbooktoday

Before I write this particular review, I have something to confess. It is something of a fluke that I read Discount Armageddon. If I had realized who wrote it, I wouldn’t have done it, but the description looked good, and C.E. Murphy liked it, so I picked it up and started reading. It wasn’t

until I was well into the book, and thoroughly enjoying it that I realized this was the same author who wrote the October Day series. I have tried to read Rosemary and Rue multiple times and simply couldn’t enjoy it. The lead, October, just irritated me to no end. Whine whine whine. Get over it, put on your big-girl panties, and get a life! Authors who write weak and whiny characters just don’t do it for me.

So, imagine my surprise when I literally couldn’t put Discount Armageddon down. Verity Price is a cryptozoologist, a cryptozoologist with a jones for dancing and a strong backstory. The research and presentation into cryptids is exceptionally well done. There isn’t ‘magic’ in the development of the crypids, but rather evolutionary pressures which brought about the development of the ‘non pure human’ species. It is a new and creative presentation that immediately pulled me into the story. What kept me there is Verity herself. She is strong without being overdone, has a good head on her shoulders and a good heart. She isn’t ‘Wonder Woman’ but she is cool, collected and willing to do what needs to be done to get the job done. She is willing to put herself out there for what she believes in, and doesn’t pull punches when necessary. Her life is balanced between ballroom dancing, waitressing in a ‘titty-bar’ called Fish and Strip and trying to maintain the delicate balance between humans and cryptids in New York.

There is a bit of romance, but another thing I really liked is that the balance of the relationship was even, and it isn’t ‘boy meets girl, boy saves girl’ – though he is in the group that fights in the end. Dominic comes with his own problems, serious problems, and it will be interesting to follow his growth (or lack of said) should he continue as a character through the second book in the series, Midnight Blue-Light Special.

The back-story of her family and how they interact with the world is brilliant. It takes a historical concept, the inability of humanity to accept anything they consider ‘different’, and their willingness to commit genocide due to their fear of that same difference and pulls it out into the sunshine. As anyone who reads my reviews knows, I am always willing to see deeper levels in author’s writings. Even if sometimes those different levels aren’t really there. I am able, in this novel, to see layers of prejudice, xenophobia, the incapability of humanity to grow and mature, and the strength required for a person, or a small group, to stand up and say ‘this is wrong.’

Overall, this is a wonderful story. One of the things I like most about it is the authors ability to make me laugh. Some author’s take themselves so seriously that I can’t enjoy their books as much as I should. Exceptional books require a level of humour, of taking themselves more lightly at times, in order to give their works that balance that nudges them from mediocre to exceptional. I think that is why I was so surprised with this book. McGuire didn’t show me that in Rosemary and Rue. I simply wanted to shoot October in the head to put her out of my misery. Verity, on the other hand, I would enjoy knowing.

I have some R4R’s to complete in my ‘have a minute to read’ times. But I am absolutely going to start Midnight Blue-Light Special. I actually picked it up from Audible.com, though I wish I hadn’t, as Emily Bauer is narrating and her voice reminds me of a sixth-grader, but we will see if I can get past that. I usually enjoy listening more than straight reading, it lets me have both of my hands available and the voices often pull me so deeply into a novel that I literally lose myself in the book. It will be interesting to see if I can get past Bauer’s voice in order to lose myself in the book, or if I will have to drop back to a Kindle edition in order to be able to enjoy the book.

Show Less

LibraryThing member krau0098

I have read all of Seanan McGuire’s October Daye series (which I adore) and her Newsflesh series written as Mira Grant (which I also loved). This is the second book in the Incryptid series and it was even better than the first! I got a copy of this book to review through Goodreads First Reads

program. This was a fun read, that was action packed and very well put together. I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Verity is recovering from the deadly snake-cult mystery in the first book when she gets some dreadful news from Dominic...the Covenant is coming to the city to clear out all of the InCryptids. Now Verity has to find a way to protect both the InCryptids and herself from the Covenant. She also has to figure out if Dominic is with or against her. Part of the story is also told from Sarah’s POV (Sarah is Verity’s cousin who is a cuckoo).

The book is told from both Sarah and Verity's POVs. Cleverly you can tell which chapter is told from which POV by the little pictures up top. Verity's chapters are headed with bloody dance steps, while Sarah's are headed with math equations.

This was a very well done book. It's full of wonderfully creative characters and is a lot of fun to read. You never know what new type of beastie is going to be around the corner. The plot keeps you guessing, the pace is fast, and the book is action packed.

Verity grow a lot in this book. She is finally learning how to trust her friends and depend on them for some backup in this book. She also begins to come to terms with her life and her...destiny. She starts to have to truly decide what form her life will take; that of a professional ballroom dancer or that of a cryptozoologist.

We get a lot of insight into both Dominic and Sarah’s characters in this book as well. Sarah tells some of the story from her POV and she is a very interesting and complex character with an interesting background. We also learn quite a bit about Domonic’s background as well.

As with the past books there are many quirky characters in here. The mice are here in force and as strangely entertaining as they were in the last book. You never know what strange type of mythological beastie you will run into next. They are all interesting and engaging.

Parts of the book are laugh out loud funny, others are touching. All in all a very entertaining and well balanced book. There is a lot of action. As well as a lot of mystery solving.

Overall I absolutely loved this book. It is a perfect balance of everything that makes urban fantasy wonderful. You have creative characters that are fun and easy to engage with and a complex action-packed plot that is fast-paced plot. This book is intelligently written, super fun to read, and absolutely engrossing. It was so hard to put down. Those who love urban fantasy should definitely pick up this whole series, it’s been wonderful to read so far. I also recommend her October Daye series, which is less action packed but also exceedingly well written.

Show Less

LibraryThing member Lifeonerth

Verity's family has always had a soft spot for cryptids...creatures who some might label as "monsters;" that is, of course, unless you get to know them personally. She's a professional dancer by day and a cryptozoologist by night, tasked with learning about and ensuring the welfare of cryptids.

Enter Dominic DeLuca, an untried Covenant operative, and things start to get complicated. Despite boiling chemistry and a matching affinity for weaponry, Verity and Dominic have reached a possible breaking point, while around them the cryptid denizens of New York City are holding their breath as the unthinkable finally happens. The Covenant of St. George has come to town in force to initiate a purge of all cryptids, regardless of their actual intentions towards humanity. They have come for blood. If they can have Verity's blood as well, they will not hesitate to take it.

Verity's family has a long and bitter history with the Covenant. The Covenant was founded on the fervent belief that all non-human, non-animal creatures were "unnatural" and therefore "evil" that must be destroyed utterly at all costs. Her great-great-grandfather was a part of the Covenant, but his encounters with cryptids led him to question and ultimately break from the Covenant doctrines, taking his wife with him. They, and all of their descendants, were henceforth branded as "traitors" for breaking their oath, despite said descendants never having been directly involved. No one leaves the Covenant...except in a coffin.

New York is Verity's city, however, and many of its cryptids are her friends. Protecting them is her job, and a Price never takes a threat lying down. She has trained for this moment her entire life. She has gathered her allies and battened down the hatches. The question is, now that the chips are down, does Dominic follow his oath...or his heart?

"Midnight Blue-Light Special" is the second installment in the InCryptid series. This book was excellent. Seanan McGuire has obvious intelligence and a wonderful sense of humor that shines throughout this novel as well as its predecessor. It has everything you could want in a good escapist read: action, laughs, suspense, and romance. It even comes with a fantastic soundtrack listed in the back. This book is a prime example of Urban Fantasy at its rollicking best. I love the Gothic Lolita waheela who sews extra rows of lace onto her parasols while waiting for "carnage" and the hyperreligious Aeslin mice, for whom the most mundane act is cause for unbridled celebration.

As reflected on the current cover, this second installment of the InCryptid series gives us greater involvement with the character of Sarah, Verity's cousin by adoption who is also a cuckoo, a powerful telepathic cryptid who also happens to be a math geek with a taste for room service. We even get a brief window into her psyche as she takes over the narration for a bit.

I'm a pretty...let's say "discerning"...reader, and I certainly want to give a balanced review of the book. Let's face it, this is not "War and Peace", and thank God for that, because I wasn't really in the mood for "War and Peace" anyways. This novel won't win the Nobel Prize for literature, but that's not the point here. The author's goal in writing this novel was to produce a reasonably intelligent and well thought-out read that was tasteful, funny, and above all, entertaining. The writing is solid; it flowed well and was structurally sound, free of annoying typos and egregious grammatical errors.

McGuire did throw in a couple of "Anita Blake-isms", whether she meant them as such or not: several times over the course of the novel, Verity answers the phone and nods or shakes her head, realizes the person can't see her, then responds accordingly. This became mildly annoying. I get it that Laurell K. Hamilton's many, many tropes are funny to those who know her work, and maybe the many authors who use them are making fun, maybe they are giving a nod to Laurell K., or maybe they were fans and these phrases and literary mannerisms have truly penetrated their psyches. I suppose it depends on the author in question. Regardless of why it was done, it would be more effective if it was used once then left alone. Any more and it weakens the character. Truly though, if this is what I am complaining about, McGuire has done a generally exemplary job. I wish the rest of the genre would rise to her standards.

The pacing of the novel slipped a bit at the end. We had a lot of buildup, even coming over from the previous novel, but the climax came and went and things wrapped up so swiftly that I was a bit thrown off. Yes, the threads get wrapped up, but it happens so fast it might give you a bit of whiplash. I guess that's what happens when you have powerful friends, but it was a bit abrupt and a little too neat. It almost felt like she was writing away and her deadline snuck up on her and she had to wrap it up at the last minute, but who knows.

Regardless, I have to say that this book was a thoroughly enjoyable read. It's cute and funny and clever and has great taste in fashion and music. I would definitely invite it to a party, because even if it wasn't the smartest kid in the room, it would make everyone laugh and tell great stories, and of course it would burn up the dance floor. If you are a fan of Urban Fantasy, this is a definite pick. This series would be a great choice for someone new to the genre looking for a fun read or wanting to get a taste of what all the fuss is about, though it doesn't have a single vampire, pixie, or werewolf in the traditional sense. McGuire has forged a unique path for herself in this series, and she carries it off with aplomb. It is very refreshing to encounter a new twist on the Urban Fantasy themes that works. I can't wait to see what the Price family gets up to in her next InCryptid novel, which is definitely on my must-have list. Hail!

Show Less

LibraryThing member murderbydeath

A fun, entertaining read that I found myself lost in and didn't want to put down. All the characters in this motley crew were likeable (except the female dragons, and we don't see them much); I think Islas might be my favourite; she had some of the best lines in the book. The writer used humour to

soften what could have been some dark scenes - something I appreciated as I don't really go for the dark stuff.

The plot was very fast-paced with constant movement; not a lot of time was wasted with unnecessary dialogue, there was always something happening to forward the storyline.

The writer mentions at the end of the book that the next book will focus on another member of the Price family, so I'm not sure I'll pick up the next one or not. I really grew attached to Verity, Sarah, Dominic and the Freakshow crew. I'll definitely check it out when it's released though.

Show Less

LibraryThing member imyril

More lightweight entertainment in New York City, as Verity's sort-of boyfriend warns her that his psycho cult of monster killers are coming to town. I didn't enjoy this one quite as much as Discount Armageddon - noting that I'm not an urban fantasy fan, and the snarkfest hits unreasonable

proportions here - but I was still amused enough to finish with a smile.

Show Less

LibraryThing member SpaceandSorcery

This was a quick weekend read, both because I had the time to devote to it and because I literally could not put it down. As fun and entertaining as the previous book, Discount Armageddon, this second chapter in the Incryptid series also packs a great deal of action and suspense, and a few touches

of real darkness – which was something of a surprise, because the first book led me to believe that this would be McGuire's "light" series, as opposed to her more dramatic representation of Toby Daye's world, or the zombie apocalypse scenery penned under the name of Mira Grant.

Which does not mean I did not enjoy it of course, because all these elements were well-balanced and seamlessly blended. It's just that knowing McGuire's penchant for pulling no punches where her characters are concerned (both as herself and as her "Evil Twin" Mira Grant), I was seriously worried for the well-being of some of them. In the relatively small "space" of two books, McGuire made me care for these new characters, and when she put them through the grind she also caused me some moments of serious oxygen deprivation.

Thankfully, the Aeslin mice were there to provide a welcome respite...
McGuire's best creation to date, they are given more space here and allowed to grow beyond the boundaries of comic relief toward a deeper characterization, one that hints at wisdom and faithful courage. Hopefully there will be more on them in the next books, as the readers' view of the cryptid population will also increase in scope and width, opening their eyes to this incredible parallel world that makes these books so fascinating.

Show Less

LibraryThing member lavaturtle

This second installment in the Incryptid series is just as fun as the first. Verity is a great character, the Aeslin mice provide the perfect amount of comic relief, and the question of Dominic's loyalties kept me guessing until the end. And we got to meet even more of Verity's friends and family!

The worldbuilding is expansive without being overwhelming. Glad there's a bunch more of this series.

Show Less

LibraryThing member ladypembroke

I laughed. I cried. I was on the edge of my seat, wishing I had more time to read the book more quickly because the plot was That Good. McGuire is an underrated author, to be honest. More people should be reading her work.

LibraryThing member karidrgn

love the wild creatures she comes up with. And what she did with dragons.

LibraryThing member RedQueen

This is one of those series I almost wish I had found later - because I have to wait a year for the next installment. Urban fantasy with humor is hard to find, and this book handles it wonderfully. As others have said, it's worth reading just for the mice... and explaining more would dilute some of

the pleasure of the world McGuire has created. Action, adventure, romance, religeous fanatics and all the creatures you worried were hiding under the bed. If I could recommend it twice I would!

Show Less

LibraryThing member Glennis.LeBlanc

The second book starts a few months after the Discount Armageddon. Dave’s Fish and Strips is now a burlesque club that features the cryptids so the customers think it is all fake. But not everything is right. The Covenant is coming to town to check on Dominic and get ready to purge NYC of the

cryptic population. Verity does come do a decision about living two lives in New York as she is working hard to protect the cryptid population and gather forces that can fight back against the Covenant while the ones that can’t fight try and flee or find safety somewhere. A good conclusion to this story arc and the next book will feature one of Verity’s siblings.

Show Less

Fewer