About the BookThe ninth book in the fast-paced InCryptid urban fantasy series returns to the mishaps of the Price family, eccentric cryptozoologists who safeguard the world of magical creatures living in secret among humans.
Sarah Zellaby has always been in an interesting position. Adopted into the Price family at a young age, she's never been able to escape the biological reality of her origins: she's a cuckoo, a telepathic ambush predator closer akin to a parasitic wasp than a human being. Friend, cousin, mathematician; it's never been enough to dispel the fear that one day, nature will win out over nurture, and everything will change.
Maybe that time has finally come.
After spending the last several years recuperating in Ohio with her adoptive parents, Sarah is ready to return to the world--and most importantly, to her cousin Artie, with whom she has been head-over-heels in love since childhood. But there are cuckoos everywhere, and when the question of her own survival is weighed against the survival of her family, Sarah's choices all add up to one inescapable conclusion.
This is war. Cuckoo vs. Price, human vs. cryptid...and not all of them are going to walk away.
MY THOUGHTS
This was such a great addition to the Incryptid series. I was in a bad reading slump, but this book helped pull me out of it.
Sarah has always fascinated me, so it was very interesting getting to see things from her perspective. She's a cuckoo, a telepathic ambush predator who looks human but is actually closer related to a parasitic wasp. Cuckoos are normally terrifying and horrible creatures, but Sarah breaks that mold. She's one of the good guys.
Five years ago, in an effort to save her family, Sarah pushed the boundaries of her telepathy too far and seriously injured herself. Now, she feels ready and recovered enough to reenter society. She's at a point where she's relatively sure she won't accidentally hurt herself or anyone else. But what's coming is a doozy, and will greatly test her. There's a war brewing between humans and cuckoos, and whether she likes it or not, she's at the center of it all.
As soon I read the first sentence, I was right back in this world. It felt like coming home, these characters felt like family. A really weird family, for sure, but whose family is normal anyway, lol.
We learn A LOT about cuckoos, which was so fascinating. A tad creepy, too, but so very interesting.
There are two POVs in this one, Sarah, of course, and then I was pleasantly surprised to find Artie's too. At first, I was a little thrown off by the POV shift, but I quickly acclimated to it and really enjoyed it. It wouldn't have been such a full story without both of them.
This story ended on quite a big cliffhanger, so I'm very eager to get started on the next one. If you're a fan of urban fantasy, this series is a must read. These books aren't stand alones, but when you start the first one, you'll be hooked.
NOTE: This book does contain some strong language.
4.5 STARS
