Good fun

I gotta admire Seanan's imagination, even if it's a bit short on fact-checking, e.g. about Krav Maga, or fighting generally. Suspend disbelief & enjoy for what it is, a joyful fantasy romp.

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2 people found this helpful

From the author who wrote the Feed trilogy....

What made the experience of listening to Discount Armageddon the most enjoyable?

Seanan McGuire, also writer Mira Grant, wrote this, the first in the on going urban fantasy series known as the 'Incryptid' series. Following a daughter of a family of monster investigators, saviours and occasional killers as she tries to make it New York as a dancer, it offers old monsters, but in a modern setting, and time. The lead can kick ass, has friends who can kick ass, and knows when to play friendly too.

Who was your favorite character and why?

I love the Aeslin mice. Cute and funny, but become a bit horrifying, especially in the short stories, given the colony can remember *everything* that happens to the family they worship. Still they offer an amusing diversion at various points in the books.

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Funny, engaging and fast paced

I was recommended this series of books by a friend, and although the title was a little off-putting because it gave virtually no indication of what it was about, it didn't take long at all to get into it, and be caught up in the under world of New York and the double life of Verity Price, cryptozoologist and ballroom dancer.

Most characters have been compelling written, and I particularly enjoyed the (often brief) introductions to the various Cryptids, the non- human species which co-exist, more or less peacefully, with their Manhattan human counterparts. But the Aeislin Mice were the stars of any scenes they were in!

McGuire has a wonderful imagination and an easy way with words that allow a good story to unfold effortlessly, only occasionally tripping up on some of the less developed characters (Dominic de Luca comes to mind), but there are touches of genius that are just delightful - I particularly liked the idea of the Bogeyman turning on the darks, as we were turn on the lights.

Clever ideas, sassily written and leaving me wanting to read more.

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2 people found this helpful

OK performance. OK story

This book is not as funny as it thinks it is. People who like Simon Green might enjoy this if they have a spare credit. Nothing wrong with Amy Finegan's reading. It is the writing which leads to a chirpy American accent going on and on in an over bright manner. Even at story points which ought to be sad or frustrating.

On the plus side Seanan McGuire does know the difference between ballroom and Argentine tango. Returned for refund.

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It's romance, with some supernatural creatures

It wasn't dreadful to begin with - sort of frothy, but ok. And then there was a CHAPTER AND A HALF about how much her toes tingled while she kissed her male counterpart. There might have been even more, but I gave up at that point. The narrator was becoming breathy, which sort of fit the character, who was droning on and on and on about how much she enjoyed kissing the male character, but it just felt like a teenager writing about her crush in her diary and I lost the will to continue listening. If you want to listen to a gushing account of how much fun kissing is, and don't mind a few monsters thrown in, then this might be a good book for you. Otherwise, I'd avoid it.

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4. 5 Stars

The story itself was very enjoyable. The only reason it doesn't get 5 stars from me is the delivery of the narration was irritatingly slow for my taste. I ended up listening at 1.25 speed which I have never felt the need to do before. That is just a minor complaint so overall I definately recommend giving it a listen. I'm just about to get stuck into book 2!

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Quirky fun

What a fun book. It made me laugh regularly,. It's a quirky of a ballroom dancing ninja style heroine who meets many other world creatures and sets the world to rights (for now) with a satisfying ending that leaves you wanting more.

I'm off to find book 2 :)

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