Glitter & Mayhem

I will begin by explaining what I'm reviewing here. Seanan McGuire has written a lot of short stories in The Incryptid Series. You can find a couple dozen of the older ones listed on the Incryptid Short Stories page on her web site. (Note, she has also published many stories through her Patreon site. They are not listed on the the Incryptid Short Stories page on her website, although many of them are listed in her bibliography.)The stories are divided into groups, which can be divided into two supergoups: those that occur before Half-Off Ragnarok, and those that occur after. The first supergroup mostly concerns the early backstory of the Healy/Price family in the USA. The post-Half-Off Ragnarok stories are about the present-day (more or less -- 21st century) Prices and cryptids. It is this second group that I'm reviewing here. BE WARNED: spoilers for Half-Off Ragnarok follow.These are the stories in question:Verity Price and Dominic De Luca:The Ghosts of Bourbon Street, free download from McGuire's web siteSnake in the Glass, free download from McGuire's web siteSwamp Bromeliad, free download from McGuire's web siteWaking Up In Vegas, free download from McGuire's web siteAntimony Price:Blocked, free download from McGuire's web siteBad Dream Girl, in the Anthology Glitter & MayhemJammed, in the Anthology Games Creatures PlaySurvival Horror, in the Anthology Press Start to PlaySarah Zellaby and Arthur HarringtonIM, free download from McGuire's web siteIstas and RyanRed as Snow, in Anthology Hex in the CityBlack as Blood, free download from McGuire's web siteWhite as a Raven's Wing, free download from McGuire's web siteElizaBalance, in Anthology Urban EnemiesThe Verity and Dominic stories all take place after Half-Off Ragnarok and reflect the state of things as they were left at the end of that book. Half-Off Ragnarok had two main consequences for the future of the Incryptid world: Dominic De Luca is now irrevocably committed to Verity and severed from the Covenant. In fact, the Covenant believes he is dead, thanks to the extraordinary efforts of Sarah, who damaged herself modifying the memories of the participants in Half-Off Ragnarok. So, there are the promised spoilers: Verity and Dominic are now a couple (this will come as a surprise to precisely no one), and Sarah has hurt herself badly.Verity and Dominic are driving from New York to Portland in a rented U-Haul truck so that Dominic can be introduced to Verity's family. They are driving because Verity has a colony of Aeslin mice to transport -- not easily accomplished by air. Also, Verity is taking the scenic route, to introduce Dominic to various folks. The first story in this series, The Ghosts of Bourbon Street, is a crossover, in that it also belongs to McGuire's Ghost Road series -- you meet Rose Marshall, the main character of those books. Some other old friends show up: the Carmichael hotel in Chicago, and the Swamp Bromeliad in Buckley Township, Michigan. This series of stories ends as intended, with Verity introducing Dominic to her family in Portland.Most of the Antimony stories have no obvious relation to the events of Half-Off Ragnarok. One may suppose they occur before that. If you have read the first three Incryptid novels you have sort-of been introduced to Antimony, because she features heavily in Verity's recollections of growing up, as the annoying little sister who excelled in such Price family staple skills as extreme survival, setting traps, and demolition. Now, introduced to Antimony in person, we see that she has complementary memories of Verity and Alex as the older siblings who her parents (in Antimony's view) always seemed to value more than her. Antimony becomes a roller-derby skater in these stories. A word about the anthologies: I read only one non-McGuire story. Several reviewers of Glitter & Mayhem, mentioned the story about the dancing princesses, so I read that on, too. It was OK. Jammed appeared in Games Creatures Play, which appears to be out of print. I couldn't easily get a copy, so I listened to the audiobook version. Survival Horror is in the Anthology Press Start to Play -- I read none of the other stories. The Antimony stores were a fun intro to Antimony, whom I now look forward to encountering in the novels. They also introduce her cousin Elsinor Harrington, whose father is an incubus, making Elsie a succubus.That brings us to Antimony's other cousin, Elsie's brother Arthur (Artie). We have actually heard quite a bit about Artie in the novels because he and Sarah are hopelessly in love, and Verity also tends to phone Artie when she needs geek skills. IM is really all about whether Sarah is going to recover.Istas is a kind of fun character. We met her in the Verity Price novels, where she works as a cocktail waitress at the place where Verity works, and fights at Verity's side. She's a sort of werewolf/werebear (as is her main squeeze Ryan). But what's fun about her is her very direct, uncomplicated way of thinking and speaking.The final story, Balance, is about a cuckoo who, as far as I know, appears nowhere else in the Incryptid world. I didn't enjoy this story as much as the rest.In summary, these stories are a good way to meet the Price/Harrington families. I give them four stars, except for Balance, which rates only three.

This is another example of the amazing things in the attics, or basemloents, of very active imaginations. Or who can think of this stuff!? I enjoyed meeting so many au thors that were new to me, as well as dipping into tal es by authors I have enjoyed for years. One or two tales took me to the end to decide the idea was wworth havung read the story. One or two I would like to read again soon.

I purchase Glitter and Mayhem for one reason...Seanan McGuire. And she didn't disappoint me at all! Her roller derby story was EXCELLENT!! Some of the rest of the stories (in my opinion) had a decided gay/lesbian twist. Which is fine I have no problem with that, but I would have preferred to know that ahead of buying the book. I personally would have bought it anyway since I am a huge Seanan McGuire fan, but some people would not care for the storylines.

A sequin-spangled rocket ride into a funky, gritty wonderland. Its a place you can boogie down and never come up again. Loved it.

This is a very mixed anthology with some excellent writing and some not so excellent. The ibasic theme is interesting and gives the writers some grist for their writing mills. There are some fun characters and stories.

Seanan McGuire wrote a short story in this collection. That short story "Bad Dream Girl" is awesome, but there are several other excellent stories in this collection. That makes this book the perfect score.

Some of the stories in this omnibus compelled me to find their writers. This book was sometimes highly enjoyable, and sometimes embarrassingly weird. It was worth it, if only because it gave me the opportunity to find previously-unknown-to-me writers worth investigating further.Thanks bunches.

Yes! This was a delightful read. The smashing of styles and characters travels was exhilarating. Also you are supporting self published writers, and that is a good thing.

If you've always wanted to see queer fantasy representations done in a slightly scary, slightly creepy way, this is the book for you. Enthrallingly diverse, each story is a little gem of wonder, and, despite being fantasy, a real social commentary on the world. Easily surpasses young adult fantasy, and capture the imagination.

Only brought this book for the story by Diana rowland but found the book funny nevertheless.

I felt I was on an acid trip back to the 80's and not a good one. There were a number of good stories but most were way to much to bother with. I would not suggest it to friends.

Bought this for the Seanan McGuire story, which was excellent. The rest, while well written and diverse, were too cynical and bleak for my tastes.