My Last Name

InCryptid #3.5

by Seanan McGuire

Vegas was fun, if a little more exciting than originally planned; more importantly, Dominic De Luca is officially gone, leaving Michael Delgado in his place. It's only a name, but a name can change the world in the right hands. A name can change everything.

Everything except for the heart of the one who wears it. No matter what he's called, Dominic loves Verity, and marrying her was the best choice he's ever made. Now if he can just convince the rest of her family of that, he'll have a chance of seeing his next birthday.

With the Covenant behind them and the future ahead of them, it's finally time for Verity and Dominic to face the greatest challenge yet: explaining to her parents why they ran off to Las Vegas to get married, and what the hell she thinks she's doing hooking up with a member, however rebellious, of the Covenant of St. George.

Things are about to get interesting. And not in the necessarily good way.

(Available for free on Seanan McGuire's website in ePub, Mobi, and PDF formats)

Genres: Urban Fantasy, Fantasy, Short Stories, Paranormal, Romance, Fiction, Adult

20 pages, ebook

First published January 6, 2017

About the author

Hi! I'm Seanan McGuire, author of the Toby Daye series (Rosemary and Rue, A Local Habitation, An Artificial Night, Late Eclipses), as well as a lot of other things. I'm also Mira Grant (www.miragrant.com), author of Feed and Deadline.

Born and raised in Northern California, I fear weather and am remarkably laid-back about rattlesnakes. I watch too many horror movies, read too many comic books, and share my house with two monsters in feline form, Lilly and Alice (Siamese and Maine Coon).

I do not check this inbox. Please don't send me messages through Goodreads; they won't be answered. I don't want to have to delete this account. :(

Reviews

[carol. · Rating 2 out of 5]

Meh. Felt like a rehash of the emotional set-up ofPocket Apocalypse. In short, it is Dominic meeting Verity's parents at the family compound. Basically the same silly, over-cautious and paranoid behaviors, and similarly unable to be saved by the Aeslin mice.

[Steven · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was really hoping to see Antimony's response to meeting Dominic for the first time, but Kevin and Evelyn will have to do. :)

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

We've been following Verity and Dominic's journey across the country to her hometown for a while now and I have to admit I was a bit disappointed that we never got to see her parent's reaction when she brings home an ex-covenant member and introduces him as not just her boyfriend but her husband so I was really glad when I found out that Seanan McGuire had added this extra short story to her website.

My Last Name is the perfect ending to this little series of short stories and it's another turning point in their relationship. It's never easy to meet the inlaws but doing it as an ex-covenant member just makes things even more complicated for poor Dominic. Let's face it the Price family weren't going to be happy with anyone that Verity brought home but the whole covenant thing and the fact they're already married are both huge black marks against Dominic before he's even said hello.

It was interesting to see the full lengths that Verity's father goes through just to confirm she's who she says she is, it shows how careful they have to be and how many security measures they have in place to protect the family. Then his reaction to Dominic was priceless, that's one father you don't want to get on the wrong side of! Her mother is equally shocked that the wedding has already happened but I liked the way she dealt with things. What I really liked was seeing Dominic prove his worth and the way Verity stood by his side 100% when things got awkward. Hopefully now the introductions are over Dominic will be able to earn the family's trust as the series continues.

[Roslyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another charming Incryptid short story - in this case, a very small one.

One small quibble:

I realise that with the Incryptid novels and stories, although we're meant to take the 'paranoid family' thing seriously to some extent, I think it's also being played for laughs - but in this particular story, it felt even more over-the-top than usual and not very plausible. They already know about Dominic, after all, and so their reaction seems a bit silly, and the whole story is built around that reaction.

Nevertheless, McGuire executes it with panache and the (not unexpected) ending is wholly satisfying.

[Angela · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked getting to see Verity's parents meet Dominic when they finally arrived in Oregon. Dominic is awesome. The lengths this family goes to in order to ensure their anonymity and security sometimes amazes me. It also makes me a little sad that they have to go through all of this.

[Cass · Rating 4 out of 5]

3,5/5

[Coyora Dokusho · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was sooooooooooo great!!!!! I laughed a lot! Also, it was incredibly heart-warming!!

[Nyssa · Rating 3 out of 5]

I forgot the actual/legal connection between Verity's mom and cousin, which helps make mom's reaction more sense.

Dad's initial reaction and Dominic's resolve hurt my heart

I'm glad that's over. What's next?

[Erin (PT) · Rating 3 out of 5]

A Verity and Dominic Incryptid short; Verity and Dominic's roadtrip comes to an end and they finally arrive at the Price home. The Aeslin mice make an appearance, which is always catnip to me. As someone who is quite a bit older than Verity, I kind of want to shake her for the way she handled--or didn't handle--telling her parents about Dominic, and this fills in the missing bit as to how all the relationships stand in Chaos Choreography, which is definitely a piece I wanted...but the ending feels a little abrupt. Not wrong. Just abrupt. Though I honestly don't know how I'd say it should be fixed, either.

Basically, it's the piece I wanted to fill the gap before Chaos Choreography.

[Marjolein (UrlPhantomhive) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read all my reviews on http://urlphantomhive.booklikes.com

My Last Name and most of the other short stories from the InCryptid series can be found for free on the authors website.

This (too) short story bridges the gap between Waking Up in Vegas and the beginning of Chaos Choreography, where Verity and Dominic return to the Oregon compound and Verity hasn't told anyone yet of her recent marriage.

A nice short, although I would have loved it to be a bit longer, because I think this is the last of Verity we'll see for some time.

[Marzie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another cute Incryptid short, made all the more charming thanks to Aeslin mice.

Dominic Price sounds pretty good to me.

[Darcy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Oh...the Prices, such a crazy family! Fun to see how both of Verity's parents reacted to meeting Dominic for the first time.

[Liz (Quirky Cat) · Rating 4 out of 5]

My Last Name is set within the InCryptid universe, specifically following one of the newest Price generations – Verity Price. Well, her and her new husband, Dominic. Readers of the series will know that Dominic was once a member of the Covenant – but the Price family has a way of converting those that get too close to them.

This was an oddly endearing short, portraying Dominic's quest to become accepted by Verity's family. It does and doesn't go the way readers will expect, which is pretty on point with this family.

I love seeing these little family moments and would give just about anything to see more.

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[Ivy · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 stars

Glad that Dominic was able to meet Verity's parents. It's good that they accepted him. Hope they will be able to stop the Covenant of St. George soon.

Can't wait to read more stories featuring Verity and Dominic!!!!!

[Louisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was thoroughly engrossed by this story, I really wanted to read it, given that it's Dominic meeting the Price parents! So awesome!

[gremlin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dominic meets the in-laws. Aww.

[Melani · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute

[Jessica ❁ ➳ Silverbow ➳ ❁ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Reviewed by: Rabid Reads

3.6 - My Last Name

3 stars

Verity and Dominic finally make their way to the Price family home.

As newlyweds.

Yeah, that goes over about as well as you'd think.

BUT. Whatever the problem was that Verity was going to come back to? Never definitively addressed.

Oh, it could've been that he felt like she didn't need him as he hazily confessed while high on swamp bromeliad pollen, or it could've been that he's never had a family, while you can't swing a cat without hitting one of Verity's extended relations, but who knows?

B/c never laid to rest.

And considering that they just ELOPED, that's mighty off-putting.

[Nerdy Werewolf · Rating 4 out of 5]

"HAIL! HAIL THE GOD OF DECISIONS MADE IN NECESSITY, SON OF THE PILGRIM PRIESTESS AND THE GOD OF EMPTY ROOMS AND COLD REGRETS, FATHER OF-"

Verity finally makes it home to her family-just in time to surprise them with what she and Dominic have been up to. They're happy to see her and the mice, but are they happy she actually brought home a Covenant boy?

[Nirkatze · Rating 4 out of 5]

The fifth and last of the Verity & Dominic shorts (so far--I'm still hoping for one in the middle stopping off at Grandma & Grandpa Baker's), as they make their slow way from New York to Portland to meet Verity's parents. This one sees them finally make it to Portland, a short bit of drama and musings on family. It really made me want to give Dominic a hug.

[Miki · Rating 5 out of 5]

i really missed Verity and Dominic but i couldn't have expected a better first meeting with her familly, it may be short yes but it was wonderfully written and very funny a pure pleasure for those following the series

[J.A. Ironside · Rating 4 out of 5]

Finishing off 2020 with this super cute short story in Seanan McGuire's InCryptid series. Verity and Dominic are off to finally meet the Price-Healy's. Since Dominic is ex Covenant of St George, everyone is nervous. This was a delight - especially for the Aeslin mice.

[Cj Jenkins · Rating 4 out of 5]

Finally, FINALLY we get to see the family home near Portland, and meet Alice and Thomas's son. The questioning of Verity's identity is hilarious, Evelyn's response to meeting Dominic is great, and as always, the Mice delivered. This might be my favorite part of the roadtrip.

[Jacqueline · Rating 3 out of 5]

Extra 1/2 star

[Ruthie · Rating 5 out of 5]

A nice and satisfactory end to their road trip :)

[Ami · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 stars because it just was a little anticlimactic and too brief.

[Robin · Rating 5 out of 5]

A nice short with Verity and a bit of her family.

[Jennybeast · Rating 3 out of 5]

Boy, Verity's folks are weird. I feel like I want to know more about how they got that way.

[Lissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Also lots of fun.

[fia · Rating 3 out of 5]

not much happens.

i did like the Aeslin verification.