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Codex Arcanum #2
Cryptozoology for Beginners
The much-anticipated sequel to Sorcery For Beginners is here!
"If you're looking for someone who's got the spell-books covered, you might want to turn to fiction: Matt Harry's Sorcery for Beginners books are a fun getaway for any age." ―BuzzFeed
Six weeks have passed since teenage sorcerers Trish, Owen, and Perry defeated a team of ruthless anti-magic mercenaries called the Euclideans. When they learn that the world’s cryptids (aka magical creatures) are disappearing, they’re partnered with brusque team leader Jacinda Greyeyes and their former nemesis Bryan Ferretti in a mission to travel all over North America, collecting famous cryptids like the jackalope, the chupacabra, and the altamaha-ha.
But after another team of teenage sorcerers suddenly vanishes, the spellcasters set out for Germany, Egypt, and the Seychelles to uncover why the Euclideans have been abducting and experimenting on magical creatures like the unicorn and the Sphinx. The secrets they uncover threaten to divide them and reveal a truth that will permanently upend the way the world sees sorcery.
"If you're looking for someone who's got the spell-books covered, you might want to turn to fiction: Matt Harry's Sorcery for Beginners books are a fun getaway for any age." ―BuzzFeed
Six weeks have passed since teenage sorcerers Trish, Owen, and Perry defeated a team of ruthless anti-magic mercenaries called the Euclideans. When they learn that the world’s cryptids (aka magical creatures) are disappearing, they’re partnered with brusque team leader Jacinda Greyeyes and their former nemesis Bryan Ferretti in a mission to travel all over North America, collecting famous cryptids like the jackalope, the chupacabra, and the altamaha-ha.
But after another team of teenage sorcerers suddenly vanishes, the spellcasters set out for Germany, Egypt, and the Seychelles to uncover why the Euclideans have been abducting and experimenting on magical creatures like the unicorn and the Sphinx. The secrets they uncover threaten to divide them and reveal a truth that will permanently upend the way the world sees sorcery.
373 pages, Paperback
First published November 5, 2019
4 people are currently reading
1305 people want to read
About the author
Matt Harry
7 books81 followersMatt Harry received an MFA in Film Production from USC’s School of Cinematic Arts, and has worked as a filmmaker, editor, screenwriter, college professor, movie critic, and story consultant. He lives in Los Angeles with his wife and two sons.
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Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews
January 5, 2022
This is a Middle Grade Fantasy, and this is the second book in the Codex Arcanum series. I really loved this book. There are parts of this book that makes me think of Harry Potter. This is a great middle grade book that I think adults will like too. I volunteer at an school library and I like reading middle grade books to talk to the books about the books. I cannot wait to get to talk to the kids about this book. I did win an ARC of this book from a goodreads giveaway, but this review was 100% my own opinion.
November 12, 2019
3.5 stars!
Part informational, part hilarious, and exactly the type of book that a middle grade reader—or a young-at-heart reader!—would love.
Concept: ★★★
Heart: ★★★★
Enjoyment: ★★★
I picked up Cryptozoology for Beginners without realizing it was a sequel (whoops). However, that being said, this middle grade novel was extremely forgiving with its audience and recapped most of the first book, Sorcery for Beginners, quite nicely. Hooray for recaps!
When student sorcerers Trish, Owen, and Perry discover that someone is stealing the world's cryptids (magical creatures), something must be done. The nasty band of anti-magic EuCue some of the best magically-themed antics to occur in a middle grade novel for this age range. I thoroughly enjoyed this strange, off-kilter tale. Some of the best parts:
-The conversations around sexuality (Trish is attracted to girls, this is handled well)
-The magical creatures!!
-The surprisingly informational yet funny footnotes
Overall, a cute read for someone looking for something a little different in their middle grade fiction.
Thank you to Inkshares via NetGalley for an ARC of this title in exchange for an honest review.
Part informational, part hilarious, and exactly the type of book that a middle grade reader—or a young-at-heart reader!—would love.
Concept: ★★★
Heart: ★★★★
Enjoyment: ★★★
I picked up Cryptozoology for Beginners without realizing it was a sequel (whoops). However, that being said, this middle grade novel was extremely forgiving with its audience and recapped most of the first book, Sorcery for Beginners, quite nicely. Hooray for recaps!
When student sorcerers Trish, Owen, and Perry discover that someone is stealing the world's cryptids (magical creatures), something must be done. The nasty band of anti-magic EuCue some of the best magically-themed antics to occur in a middle grade novel for this age range. I thoroughly enjoyed this strange, off-kilter tale. Some of the best parts:
-The conversations around sexuality (Trish is attracted to girls, this is handled well)
-The magical creatures!!
-The surprisingly informational yet funny footnotes
Overall, a cute read for someone looking for something a little different in their middle grade fiction.
Thank you to Inkshares via NetGalley for an ARC of this title in exchange for an honest review.
December 26, 2019
Confusingly Magical and Diversely Romantic Cryptozoology for Beginners
Sometimes I just randomly pick up a book, having no idea from the cover or premise whether I’ll like it. Cryptozoology for Beginners was one such book. The premise sounded fun if not specifically my thing. Whenever I do this I’m always surprised by which books pay off and which totally fail.
Did Cryptozoology for a Beginners pay off for this Fangirl?
There isn’t a thing wrong with the fantastical, magical world of Codex Arcanum. I suspect you fall in love with the world hardcore in book one, Sorcery for Beginners. In Cryptozoology for Beginners we change narrators from Owen to another of the three friends, Trish. Trish and I didn’t bond well. In fact, I didn’t really love any of the characters even though I should have.
Trish is inappropriate toward her peers as a young teen in love.
Trish is a big girl most comfortable in shorts who refuses to ever wear a dress. She isn’t into girly things like makeup but has always been fascinated by girls. You can see where this is going. I’m fine with it. Then Trish reveals she assaulted her best friend of years with a kiss. This is not okay! This girl hasn’t told Trish or made it known that she too is fascinated with girls. If you don’t know the sexuality of another person you shouldn’t spring physical contact on them. And that is only the beginning of Trish’s inappropriateness toward other girls.
In the end Trish gets a girl this way… and the message IS NOT what other kids should be taught. We don’t use physical expressions to learn other people’s sexuality. This is assault! We start with words. We communicate. ‘I like you’ is a good start. Especially when you’re 13 or 14 years old. You aren’t reading nonverbal cues that well at this level of experience. I couldn’t really get close to Trish due to this.
Magical creatures, fun spells and enchanted objects drew me into the world.
I should probably explain what cryptozoology is… the search and study of animals whose existence is unsubstantiated. I need other words it’s the study of magical creatures. Owen, Perry and Trish became sorcerers in the first book when they were given Sorcery for Beginners. They learned the starter spells and how to enchant them onto items. Now their teacher has given them their next book, Cryptozoology for Beginners. Because the worlds’ magical animals are in danger from magic’s enemy, the Euclideans.
We start the book with introducing a new character who meets a certain magical creature in Scotland. This quickly bonded me to this minor character and this animal. There was a personal touch to how they met and we get to be there when it happened. With many of the animals we didn’t get this personal connection. Lots of stuff was happening. Really the action was stellar, and problems kept cropping up. I did enjoy the creative way spells and enchanted objects were used to subvert the Euclideans without harming them. Yet it all happened at a distance from the characters.
Jace and Varmint were my favorite characters for a reason.
When I say at a distance, what I mean is that I didn’t feel like I really got to know the characters that well beyond their stereotypes. Owen and Perry are clearly the magical best friends to Trish. She gets along with them well and they listen to her absolutely. It didn’t bond me to them though. In fact, they were rather boring because their relationship was so conflict free.
Jace was a new character, just the type of girl I love. And I did like her and could tell where things would lead with Trish. But we didn’t really spend a lot of time one on one with Jace. I couldn’t tell why Trish might like her… other than she could be of the same sexuality. I didn’t particularly like the message this sends to impressionable middle grade readers either. We should like another person because of who they are and our interactions with them.
However, Trish’s uncertainty about Jace and Jace’s role as leader drew me to her, at least to a degree more than Owen and Perry did. Varmint is a magical creature Trish bonds with. I won’t give things away with it but it makes sense it’s my favorite character! We saw and interacted with it a lot and because of that understood Trish’s feelings for it.
Unfortunately, Bryan the bully was all wasted potential.
There is much made about another character who bullied Trish in the previous book. I love it when a secondary character’s role with the protagonists morph. It’s fun to see feelings change and the past dealt with. However, the bullying isn’t really addressed. He continues to tease and eventually Trish accepts it after learning a little about his home life. And automatically she trusts this guy. Sorry when someone bullies you trust doesn’t come that easy.
To show how Trish and Bryan really could have dealt with their past bully-victim relationship would have made some good story. Bullying is so prevalent in schools middle grade readers could have used this example. As it stands it pretty much is saying accept your bullying, it’s just who the bully is.
Cryptozoology for Beginners does show how hard it is to know the truth.
I really liked the creatures we did meet. I enjoyed how the kids used spells to overcome their problems. And I really loved how the plot kept things going, going, going. The best thing about Cryptozoology for a Beginners though was how the Euclideans twisted the truth.
In the world the truth is many conflicting things to different people. Depending who and how you align yourself your truths will be different. I loved how the Euclideans took the truths about the Codex Arcanum, Whitmore, their teacher, and sorcery and made them seem like lies and deception. Trish and her friends had to decide what they believe. They had to think about where they got their information and whether it was a source to trust or not. This was a worthy message for middle grade readers and teens alike.
To me books like this with teens at that cusp age between middle grade and teen (13-15) are the hardest to discuss. A lot of it has to do with feel… this felt like a middle grade plot wise while touching on older teen and adult topics. It doesn’t really fit either genre and so it’s target audience is hard to place. As an adult I’d read it before giving it to a child, whatever their age.
Cryptozoology for Beginners is a middle grade book meant for teens. A little confused, it follows a girl who isn’t sure she wants to come out as who she is to her friends. Along the way she rescues a zoo worth of magical creatures using spells and enchanted objects learning the truth of her world along the way.
Sometimes I just randomly pick up a book, having no idea from the cover or premise whether I’ll like it. Cryptozoology for Beginners was one such book. The premise sounded fun if not specifically my thing. Whenever I do this I’m always surprised by which books pay off and which totally fail.
Did Cryptozoology for a Beginners pay off for this Fangirl?
There isn’t a thing wrong with the fantastical, magical world of Codex Arcanum. I suspect you fall in love with the world hardcore in book one, Sorcery for Beginners. In Cryptozoology for Beginners we change narrators from Owen to another of the three friends, Trish. Trish and I didn’t bond well. In fact, I didn’t really love any of the characters even though I should have.
Trish is inappropriate toward her peers as a young teen in love.
Trish is a big girl most comfortable in shorts who refuses to ever wear a dress. She isn’t into girly things like makeup but has always been fascinated by girls. You can see where this is going. I’m fine with it. Then Trish reveals she assaulted her best friend of years with a kiss. This is not okay! This girl hasn’t told Trish or made it known that she too is fascinated with girls. If you don’t know the sexuality of another person you shouldn’t spring physical contact on them. And that is only the beginning of Trish’s inappropriateness toward other girls.
In the end Trish gets a girl this way… and the message IS NOT what other kids should be taught. We don’t use physical expressions to learn other people’s sexuality. This is assault! We start with words. We communicate. ‘I like you’ is a good start. Especially when you’re 13 or 14 years old. You aren’t reading nonverbal cues that well at this level of experience. I couldn’t really get close to Trish due to this.
Magical creatures, fun spells and enchanted objects drew me into the world.
I should probably explain what cryptozoology is… the search and study of animals whose existence is unsubstantiated. I need other words it’s the study of magical creatures. Owen, Perry and Trish became sorcerers in the first book when they were given Sorcery for Beginners. They learned the starter spells and how to enchant them onto items. Now their teacher has given them their next book, Cryptozoology for Beginners. Because the worlds’ magical animals are in danger from magic’s enemy, the Euclideans.
We start the book with introducing a new character who meets a certain magical creature in Scotland. This quickly bonded me to this minor character and this animal. There was a personal touch to how they met and we get to be there when it happened. With many of the animals we didn’t get this personal connection. Lots of stuff was happening. Really the action was stellar, and problems kept cropping up. I did enjoy the creative way spells and enchanted objects were used to subvert the Euclideans without harming them. Yet it all happened at a distance from the characters.
Jace and Varmint were my favorite characters for a reason.
When I say at a distance, what I mean is that I didn’t feel like I really got to know the characters that well beyond their stereotypes. Owen and Perry are clearly the magical best friends to Trish. She gets along with them well and they listen to her absolutely. It didn’t bond me to them though. In fact, they were rather boring because their relationship was so conflict free.
Jace was a new character, just the type of girl I love. And I did like her and could tell where things would lead with Trish. But we didn’t really spend a lot of time one on one with Jace. I couldn’t tell why Trish might like her… other than she could be of the same sexuality. I didn’t particularly like the message this sends to impressionable middle grade readers either. We should like another person because of who they are and our interactions with them.
However, Trish’s uncertainty about Jace and Jace’s role as leader drew me to her, at least to a degree more than Owen and Perry did. Varmint is a magical creature Trish bonds with. I won’t give things away with it but it makes sense it’s my favorite character! We saw and interacted with it a lot and because of that understood Trish’s feelings for it.
Unfortunately, Bryan the bully was all wasted potential.
There is much made about another character who bullied Trish in the previous book. I love it when a secondary character’s role with the protagonists morph. It’s fun to see feelings change and the past dealt with. However, the bullying isn’t really addressed. He continues to tease and eventually Trish accepts it after learning a little about his home life. And automatically she trusts this guy. Sorry when someone bullies you trust doesn’t come that easy.
To show how Trish and Bryan really could have dealt with their past bully-victim relationship would have made some good story. Bullying is so prevalent in schools middle grade readers could have used this example. As it stands it pretty much is saying accept your bullying, it’s just who the bully is.
Cryptozoology for Beginners does show how hard it is to know the truth.
I really liked the creatures we did meet. I enjoyed how the kids used spells to overcome their problems. And I really loved how the plot kept things going, going, going. The best thing about Cryptozoology for a Beginners though was how the Euclideans twisted the truth.
In the world the truth is many conflicting things to different people. Depending who and how you align yourself your truths will be different. I loved how the Euclideans took the truths about the Codex Arcanum, Whitmore, their teacher, and sorcery and made them seem like lies and deception. Trish and her friends had to decide what they believe. They had to think about where they got their information and whether it was a source to trust or not. This was a worthy message for middle grade readers and teens alike.
To me books like this with teens at that cusp age between middle grade and teen (13-15) are the hardest to discuss. A lot of it has to do with feel… this felt like a middle grade plot wise while touching on older teen and adult topics. It doesn’t really fit either genre and so it’s target audience is hard to place. As an adult I’d read it before giving it to a child, whatever their age.
Cryptozoology for Beginners is a middle grade book meant for teens. A little confused, it follows a girl who isn’t sure she wants to come out as who she is to her friends. Along the way she rescues a zoo worth of magical creatures using spells and enchanted objects learning the truth of her world along the way.
Read
May 24, 2020
November 2, 2019
Originally published on my blog: Nonstop Reader.
Cryptozoology for Beginners is a strange hybrid of a YA "mages vs. technology" fiction narrative wrapped around a "nonfiction" bestiary. It's the second book in the Codex Arcanum series by Matt Harry. Due out 5th Nov 2019 from Inkshares, it's 300 pages and will be available in paperback and ebook formats.
This book starts 6 weeks after the end of the first book in the series with the semi-intrepid crew teaming up with their former nemesis Bryan Ferretti (we see what you did with the name there.. ). They're tasked with traveling all over North America collecting/saving cryptids. There's an awful lot of snark and sniping between the characters and the dialogue has more than a few awkward moments. I had some issues with some of the plot elements and character motivations as well, but I totally fully and freely admit that I'm about 40 years older than the target audience.
It works well enough as a standalone since the author refers often to previous plot points from the first book.
The illustrations by Juliane Crump are nicely rendered and magic-tome-ish, that is to say, sort of Celtic knotwork with some line drawn frames and portraits of the cryptids.
It's an engaging concept and I personally liked the tome-sidebars with little extra tidbits of info. I fully admit the possibility that I'm a grumpy old grownup, but I just wish the whole didn't seem like cashing in on the cryptid media train (Fantastic Beasts and other HP-esque spinoffs) and that it didn't read -quite- so much like a film storyboard pitch. I'm certain it'll be coming to a theatre or TV in the near future.
Three and a half stars, probably 4+ for fans of fantastic beasts and the subgenre.
Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.
Cryptozoology for Beginners is a strange hybrid of a YA "mages vs. technology" fiction narrative wrapped around a "nonfiction" bestiary. It's the second book in the Codex Arcanum series by Matt Harry. Due out 5th Nov 2019 from Inkshares, it's 300 pages and will be available in paperback and ebook formats.
This book starts 6 weeks after the end of the first book in the series with the semi-intrepid crew teaming up with their former nemesis Bryan Ferretti (we see what you did with the name there.. ). They're tasked with traveling all over North America collecting/saving cryptids. There's an awful lot of snark and sniping between the characters and the dialogue has more than a few awkward moments. I had some issues with some of the plot elements and character motivations as well, but I totally fully and freely admit that I'm about 40 years older than the target audience.
It works well enough as a standalone since the author refers often to previous plot points from the first book.
The illustrations by Juliane Crump are nicely rendered and magic-tome-ish, that is to say, sort of Celtic knotwork with some line drawn frames and portraits of the cryptids.
It's an engaging concept and I personally liked the tome-sidebars with little extra tidbits of info. I fully admit the possibility that I'm a grumpy old grownup, but I just wish the whole didn't seem like cashing in on the cryptid media train (Fantastic Beasts and other HP-esque spinoffs) and that it didn't read -quite- so much like a film storyboard pitch. I'm certain it'll be coming to a theatre or TV in the near future.
Three and a half stars, probably 4+ for fans of fantastic beasts and the subgenre.
Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.
November 25, 2019
I found this book to be delightful, with beautiful descriptive writing, but also humor and drama. There is a Magic School Bus sort of feel to it. The format is enticing, with little sidebar boxes inserted to explain unusual words or fantastic concepts:
“Enchanting Details” (real-life sciencey facts)
“The Codex Arcanum” facts about magic, spells, etc. unique to this story
“Cryptid Corner” Magical Animal facts.
Interspersed in the story are full-page sheets on individual magical creatures (similar to a Pokemon card) with height, weight, and magical abilities. Many of these were familiar to me, but when I googled some of the others (such as the kongamoto), I was astonished to discover they already existed in myth.
I have not read the prequel, but I found it didn't matter. There was never a time when I was confused or frustrated. Since Star Wars has taught us that stories can start in the middle and expand both forward and backward, I don't think young readers will have a problem reading out of order, either.
Matt Harry's diverse ensemble includes a lesbian character, Trish, and Jacinda Greyeyes, a member of the Cree nation. There is a coming-out/romantic subplot that tied into the over-arching narrative nicely. This story is anchored by Trish, and I found her to be a strong, likable character. As with many stories with larger casts, I didn't feel the other characters were as fleshed out, but then if I had read the first book I may feel differently.
Note for sensitive readers: some animals get wounded or killed.
“Enchanting Details” (real-life sciencey facts)
“The Codex Arcanum” facts about magic, spells, etc. unique to this story
“Cryptid Corner” Magical Animal facts.
Interspersed in the story are full-page sheets on individual magical creatures (similar to a Pokemon card) with height, weight, and magical abilities. Many of these were familiar to me, but when I googled some of the others (such as the kongamoto), I was astonished to discover they already existed in myth.
I have not read the prequel, but I found it didn't matter. There was never a time when I was confused or frustrated. Since Star Wars has taught us that stories can start in the middle and expand both forward and backward, I don't think young readers will have a problem reading out of order, either.
Matt Harry's diverse ensemble includes a lesbian character, Trish, and Jacinda Greyeyes, a member of the Cree nation. There is a coming-out/romantic subplot that tied into the over-arching narrative nicely. This story is anchored by Trish, and I found her to be a strong, likable character. As with many stories with larger casts, I didn't feel the other characters were as fleshed out, but then if I had read the first book I may feel differently.
Note for sensitive readers: some animals get wounded or killed.
November 12, 2019
Review up soon.
I received a Digital Review Copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
I received a Digital Review Copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
March 28, 2020
Originally published at Risingshadow.
Matt Harry's Cryptozoology for Beginners is the second novel in the Codex Arcanum series of middle-grade fantasy novels. This novel is charming escapism and great fun for readers of all ages who love good stories and magical creatures. The author has clearly aspired to make this novel as entertaining as possible and succeeds in it, because everything about the story feels fresh and compelling.
This novel was my first introduction to Matt Harry's fiction. Although there's a statement at the beginning of this novel that one should read Sorcery for Beginners first, I haven't been able to do so yet. However, I'll definitely read the first novel soon, because I enjoyed this novel and was captivated by the happenings and found the characters interesting.
Cryptozoology for Beginners has been created and written for readers who love mythological creatures, intriguing characters and good old-fashioned storytelling. If you're into reading fast-paced stories and love atmospheric adventure stories, you'll find this novel amazing, because it has everything you could ever hope to find in this kind of a novel.
This novel tells of teenage sorcerers - Trish, Owen and Perry - who have thwarted the attempts of the ruthless anti-magic mercenaries called Euclideans. Now, they find out that the cryptids of the world are being targeted by their old enemies and their existence is severely threatened. They partner with Jacinda Greyeyes and a former nemesis Bryan Ferretti to save the cryptids from extinction. The also try to uncover why the Euclidians have been abducting the magical creatures.
The story begins with a Scottish teenager, Fergus, seeing Nessie (the Loch Ness monster) for the first time and trying to get evidence of the creature's existence. Soon, Fergus witnesses how the Euclideans appear and capture Nessie before his eyes... A bit later, the young sorcerers - Trish, Owen and Perry - meet Euphemia Whitmore who tells them that she needs their help in rescuing Nessie from the hands of the Euclideans. Soon, they set out to do their task and try to save the cryptid... This marks the beginning of a wondrous and wonderful fantasy story that takes readers on a magical journey.
One of the strengths of this novel is its diverse cast of characters. It's great that the author has come up with characters that are different from each other and struggle with their own feelings and problems in a realistic way. The characters are surprisingly humane and make mistakes like regular people do.
Here are a few words about some of the characters:
- Owen and Perry are are a couple. They're both delightfully nerdy.
- Trish is a girl who has a big and personal secret: she is a lesbian. She hasn't told anybody about her sexuality.
- Jacinda is a tough sixteen-year-old girl who is Level Three sorcerer from Flying Dust First Nations, which belong to the Cree Nation.
- Bryan, who is the former nemesis of the young sorcerers, has a lot to prove to the others. He has abandoned his old life and now works with the sorcerers.
- Euphemia Whitmore is the Head Recruiter for the Council Arcanum. She is a wise, experienced and powerful sorcerer.
I find the author's way of writing about Trish and her life realistic and engaging. Trish is just like a normal teenager, who has her own problems and has to deal with many changes. She knows that she is different from others and has to cope with the knowledge.
LGBT themes are handled well in this novel. The author writes about coming out in an excellent and touching way, because he tells of how difficult it is for Trish to tell others that she likes girls. Trish is scared of coming out and telling others about herself. She fears that her fellow sorcerers won't accept her sexuality, because she has already lost her best friend by trying to kiss her.
The author also writes well about how the teenagers keep their magical abilities hidden from their parents. He also fluently describes how the teenagers try to protect and save the cryptids, because keeping them safe isn't as easy as it sounds. Because the Euclideans are trying to capture the cryptids and will fight against anybody who tries to save the creatures, the sorcerers have to try to outwit their enemies and do their best to survive.
I'm not going to reveal how many cryptids are mentioned in this novel but, to name a few, this novel features such creatures as Nessie, Bigfoot, Chupacabra, Sphinx and Jackalope. Each of the magical creatures mentioned in the story are splendidly depicted by the author and the black and white illustrations by Juliane Crump are beautiful (I liked the illustrations a lot, because they were well made and fit the story perfectly). I have to mention that I was especially impressed by how the author wrote about Nessie and Jackalope, because both of them were quite endearing creatures in their own ways.
The sidebars are wonderfully informative and they are divided into four categories: The Codex Arcanum, Cryptid Corner, Enchanting Details and Beware the Euclideans. The facts, stats and profiles about the various cryptids that can be found throughout the book are fascinating (readers who are interested in fantastical and magical beings will find a lot to enjoy in this novel), and so are the other details. Some of the facts are surprisingly humorous and funny.
Matt Harry's Cryptozoology for Beginners is marvellous fun for readers of all ages, because it's an irresistibly entertaining blend of adventure, magic, action, fun facts, humour and magical creatures. If you enjoy reading fast-paced and thrilling stories, this novel will charm you with its swiftly moving story.
Matt Harry's Cryptozoology for Beginners is the second novel in the Codex Arcanum series of middle-grade fantasy novels. This novel is charming escapism and great fun for readers of all ages who love good stories and magical creatures. The author has clearly aspired to make this novel as entertaining as possible and succeeds in it, because everything about the story feels fresh and compelling.
This novel was my first introduction to Matt Harry's fiction. Although there's a statement at the beginning of this novel that one should read Sorcery for Beginners first, I haven't been able to do so yet. However, I'll definitely read the first novel soon, because I enjoyed this novel and was captivated by the happenings and found the characters interesting.
Cryptozoology for Beginners has been created and written for readers who love mythological creatures, intriguing characters and good old-fashioned storytelling. If you're into reading fast-paced stories and love atmospheric adventure stories, you'll find this novel amazing, because it has everything you could ever hope to find in this kind of a novel.
This novel tells of teenage sorcerers - Trish, Owen and Perry - who have thwarted the attempts of the ruthless anti-magic mercenaries called Euclideans. Now, they find out that the cryptids of the world are being targeted by their old enemies and their existence is severely threatened. They partner with Jacinda Greyeyes and a former nemesis Bryan Ferretti to save the cryptids from extinction. The also try to uncover why the Euclidians have been abducting the magical creatures.
The story begins with a Scottish teenager, Fergus, seeing Nessie (the Loch Ness monster) for the first time and trying to get evidence of the creature's existence. Soon, Fergus witnesses how the Euclideans appear and capture Nessie before his eyes... A bit later, the young sorcerers - Trish, Owen and Perry - meet Euphemia Whitmore who tells them that she needs their help in rescuing Nessie from the hands of the Euclideans. Soon, they set out to do their task and try to save the cryptid... This marks the beginning of a wondrous and wonderful fantasy story that takes readers on a magical journey.
One of the strengths of this novel is its diverse cast of characters. It's great that the author has come up with characters that are different from each other and struggle with their own feelings and problems in a realistic way. The characters are surprisingly humane and make mistakes like regular people do.
Here are a few words about some of the characters:
- Owen and Perry are are a couple. They're both delightfully nerdy.
- Trish is a girl who has a big and personal secret: she is a lesbian. She hasn't told anybody about her sexuality.
- Jacinda is a tough sixteen-year-old girl who is Level Three sorcerer from Flying Dust First Nations, which belong to the Cree Nation.
- Bryan, who is the former nemesis of the young sorcerers, has a lot to prove to the others. He has abandoned his old life and now works with the sorcerers.
- Euphemia Whitmore is the Head Recruiter for the Council Arcanum. She is a wise, experienced and powerful sorcerer.
I find the author's way of writing about Trish and her life realistic and engaging. Trish is just like a normal teenager, who has her own problems and has to deal with many changes. She knows that she is different from others and has to cope with the knowledge.
LGBT themes are handled well in this novel. The author writes about coming out in an excellent and touching way, because he tells of how difficult it is for Trish to tell others that she likes girls. Trish is scared of coming out and telling others about herself. She fears that her fellow sorcerers won't accept her sexuality, because she has already lost her best friend by trying to kiss her.
The author also writes well about how the teenagers keep their magical abilities hidden from their parents. He also fluently describes how the teenagers try to protect and save the cryptids, because keeping them safe isn't as easy as it sounds. Because the Euclideans are trying to capture the cryptids and will fight against anybody who tries to save the creatures, the sorcerers have to try to outwit their enemies and do their best to survive.
I'm not going to reveal how many cryptids are mentioned in this novel but, to name a few, this novel features such creatures as Nessie, Bigfoot, Chupacabra, Sphinx and Jackalope. Each of the magical creatures mentioned in the story are splendidly depicted by the author and the black and white illustrations by Juliane Crump are beautiful (I liked the illustrations a lot, because they were well made and fit the story perfectly). I have to mention that I was especially impressed by how the author wrote about Nessie and Jackalope, because both of them were quite endearing creatures in their own ways.
The sidebars are wonderfully informative and they are divided into four categories: The Codex Arcanum, Cryptid Corner, Enchanting Details and Beware the Euclideans. The facts, stats and profiles about the various cryptids that can be found throughout the book are fascinating (readers who are interested in fantastical and magical beings will find a lot to enjoy in this novel), and so are the other details. Some of the facts are surprisingly humorous and funny.
Matt Harry's Cryptozoology for Beginners is marvellous fun for readers of all ages, because it's an irresistibly entertaining blend of adventure, magic, action, fun facts, humour and magical creatures. If you enjoy reading fast-paced and thrilling stories, this novel will charm you with its swiftly moving story.
October 13, 2019
This delightful book is part fiction story and part cryptozoology information book. There is a well-written story arc to keep fiction readers engaged, but it also has text boxes which define less commonly known words or it contains interesting tidbits of information such as the box above.
Cryptozoology for Beginners
by Matt Harry
Illustrator Juliane Crump
Publisher Inkshares
Trish is a 13 year old girl with a secret…a very personal secret which has already destroyed her relationship with her best friend. But she is tough and has more than friendship problems on her mind.
The Euclideans are on a mission to wipe out magic. To do this they are capturing and experimenting (aka torturing) magical creatures like Nessie, Sasquatch, Jackalopes, Kirin, and more.
Perry and Owen are a couple that sometimes finish each other’s sentences. Both are rather nerdy in a good way. Perry is a brilliant spell caster. Perry, Owen, and Trish are level one sorcerers. Jacinda is a 16-year-old, level 2 sorcerer, tasked with leading a team.
One of the teenage bad guys in book one, Bryan, is apparently reformed now. He is still about as pleasant as a calculus test on a Friday. But he is on the team to prove himself. Trish, Perry, and Owen are shocked and mad that they now have to work with someone they helped bring down just six weeks ago.
Whitmore is their mentor to these beginners and member of the Council Arcanum.
Read to find out if they successfully capture and protect all the magical animals before the Euclidean get to them. I also wonder if Bryan is REALLY on their side now, or if he is a mole for the Euclidean.
Who Will Like This?
Anyone who loves excellent writing will love this story. I see this as a nice bridge book for someone who loves reading non-fiction books because of all the facts and tidbits of information that are sprinkled throughout the book in a nonfiction format. Of course, anyone who loves mythological animals and all things cryptozoology will go gaga over this.
Here is a sample of the text which shows why I love this book:
“Even though eighth grade would be finished on Friday and Trish was looking forward to high school in the fall, her excitement for summer vacation had just been torpedoed. Worse than that–it had been vaporized by an atom bomb, covered in smelly garbage and dumped inside a flowery pink trash bin. Trish hated flowers; she despised the color pink, and plastic was, in her opinion, the most wasteful invention ever.” –Cryptozoology for Beginners
That description is so vivid and over the top! Love, Love this!
#NonFictionLoversMustRead
Cryptozoology for Beginners
by Matt Harry
Illustrator Juliane Crump
Publisher Inkshares
Trish is a 13 year old girl with a secret…a very personal secret which has already destroyed her relationship with her best friend. But she is tough and has more than friendship problems on her mind.
The Euclideans are on a mission to wipe out magic. To do this they are capturing and experimenting (aka torturing) magical creatures like Nessie, Sasquatch, Jackalopes, Kirin, and more.
Perry and Owen are a couple that sometimes finish each other’s sentences. Both are rather nerdy in a good way. Perry is a brilliant spell caster. Perry, Owen, and Trish are level one sorcerers. Jacinda is a 16-year-old, level 2 sorcerer, tasked with leading a team.
One of the teenage bad guys in book one, Bryan, is apparently reformed now. He is still about as pleasant as a calculus test on a Friday. But he is on the team to prove himself. Trish, Perry, and Owen are shocked and mad that they now have to work with someone they helped bring down just six weeks ago.
Whitmore is their mentor to these beginners and member of the Council Arcanum.
Read to find out if they successfully capture and protect all the magical animals before the Euclidean get to them. I also wonder if Bryan is REALLY on their side now, or if he is a mole for the Euclidean.
Who Will Like This?
Anyone who loves excellent writing will love this story. I see this as a nice bridge book for someone who loves reading non-fiction books because of all the facts and tidbits of information that are sprinkled throughout the book in a nonfiction format. Of course, anyone who loves mythological animals and all things cryptozoology will go gaga over this.
Here is a sample of the text which shows why I love this book:
“Even though eighth grade would be finished on Friday and Trish was looking forward to high school in the fall, her excitement for summer vacation had just been torpedoed. Worse than that–it had been vaporized by an atom bomb, covered in smelly garbage and dumped inside a flowery pink trash bin. Trish hated flowers; she despised the color pink, and plastic was, in her opinion, the most wasteful invention ever.” –Cryptozoology for Beginners
That description is so vivid and over the top! Love, Love this!
#NonFictionLoversMustRead
December 18, 2019
“𝕋𝕙𝕣𝕖𝕖 𝕢𝕦𝕖𝕤𝕥𝕚𝕠𝕟𝕤,” 𝕣𝕖𝕡𝕖𝕒𝕥𝕖𝕕 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕊𝕡𝕙𝕚𝕟𝕩. “𝕓𝕦𝕥 𝕗𝕚𝕣𝕤𝕥 𝕪𝕠𝕦 𝕞𝕦𝕤𝕥 𝕒𝕟𝕤𝕨𝕖𝕣 𝕞𝕚𝕟𝕖: 𝕀 𝕒𝕞 𝕟𝕖𝕚𝕥𝕙𝕖𝕣 𝕓𝕠𝕦𝕘𝕙𝕥 𝕟𝕠𝕣 𝕤𝕠𝕝𝕕, 𝕪𝕖𝕥 𝕔𝕒𝕟 𝕓𝕖 𝕧𝕒𝕝𝕦𝕖𝕕 𝕞𝕠𝕣𝕖 𝕥𝕙𝕒𝕟 𝕘𝕠𝕝𝕕. 𝕀 𝕒𝕞 𝕓𝕦𝕚𝕝𝕥 𝕦𝕡 𝕟𝕠𝕥 𝕓𝕪 𝕙𝕒𝕟𝕕 𝕓𝕦𝕥 𝕔𝕒𝕟 𝕓𝕖 𝕓𝕣𝕠𝕜𝕖𝕟 𝕓𝕪 𝕒 𝕤𝕚𝕟𝕘𝕝𝕖 𝕞𝕒𝕟. 𝕎𝕙𝕒𝕥 𝕒𝕞 𝕀?” - Matt Harry • Cryptozoology for Beginners.
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4.5 stars!
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‘Cryptozoology for Beginners’ is the second installment in Matt Harry’s Codex Arcanum series. But if you’re starting out of order (like me!), everything is recapped early on, so no worries!
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This is honestly a book I wish younger me could have read! It totally ticks off all the boxes for me:
✔ Magic
✔ Mythical/magical creatures
✔ A diverse cast
✔ Humor
✔ Informative sidebars (oh, my Ravenclaw heart!)
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We follow Trish, Perry, and Owen, a group of novice sorcerers who are trying to uncover the reason behind the disappearances of magical creatures (cryptids) all over the world. This story hits the ground running, wasting no time in making the reader feel invested in the characters and their mission. I loved the pacing, the fantastic humor, the creative magic system, and I super loved the lgbtq+ representation! (I wish there was more of that in middle grade books!)
.
Also, can we please talk about how beautiful this book is? Not only the gorgeous cover, but the illustrations inside it, the deckled edges... wow! I was especially a fan of what I called the “Creature Feature” pages, which gave you stats and factoids on different cryptids. If you love books about magic and fantastical creatures, I highly recommend this to you! You’re not going to want to put it down! Now I just have to get my hands on a copy of the first book, because MORE MAGIC PLEASE!
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A HUGE thank you to Inkshares for sending this book my way for review!
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4.5 stars!
.
‘Cryptozoology for Beginners’ is the second installment in Matt Harry’s Codex Arcanum series. But if you’re starting out of order (like me!), everything is recapped early on, so no worries!
.
This is honestly a book I wish younger me could have read! It totally ticks off all the boxes for me:
✔ Magic
✔ Mythical/magical creatures
✔ A diverse cast
✔ Humor
✔ Informative sidebars (oh, my Ravenclaw heart!)
.
We follow Trish, Perry, and Owen, a group of novice sorcerers who are trying to uncover the reason behind the disappearances of magical creatures (cryptids) all over the world. This story hits the ground running, wasting no time in making the reader feel invested in the characters and their mission. I loved the pacing, the fantastic humor, the creative magic system, and I super loved the lgbtq+ representation! (I wish there was more of that in middle grade books!)
.
Also, can we please talk about how beautiful this book is? Not only the gorgeous cover, but the illustrations inside it, the deckled edges... wow! I was especially a fan of what I called the “Creature Feature” pages, which gave you stats and factoids on different cryptids. If you love books about magic and fantastical creatures, I highly recommend this to you! You’re not going to want to put it down! Now I just have to get my hands on a copy of the first book, because MORE MAGIC PLEASE!
.
A HUGE thank you to Inkshares for sending this book my way for review!
November 8, 2019
Cryptozoology for Beginners written by Matt Harry and illustrated by Juliane Crump captivated my inner child. I had a blast reading it and I enjoyed how entertaining, funny, and educational this book was.
Even thought this book is meant as a sequel to The Sorcery for Beginners, I had no problem reading it as a stand alone. Anything important from the first book was recapped in this book so I did not feel like I missed anything important since I did not read the first book.
Adventure around the world, magic, friendship, science, and more! Almost every page had some informative footnote, cool fact, or beautifully illustrated and fun profiles of various magical and mythological creatures aka the cryptids. Some of the notes were more factual (like a mini Wikipedia)-it had everything from dictionary, historical facts (references to The Brothers Grimm, Thomas Jefferson, Marie Curie, and Charles Darwin, just to name a few), geography notes, and lots of fun information about sorcery, and lots fictional “facts”. This book was so much fun to read! The extra notes and illustrations made me feel like I was reading a video game book at times. I also liked the references to animal rights and human rights. If I had a child, I would want him/her reading this book for sure. Even thought this book clearly targets very young audience, I enjoyed it as a grown up. You are never too old to believe in unicorns and magic......
Bonus points for Lady Grey tea which is my second favorite tea right after Earl Grey tea ☕️
Even thought this book is meant as a sequel to The Sorcery for Beginners, I had no problem reading it as a stand alone. Anything important from the first book was recapped in this book so I did not feel like I missed anything important since I did not read the first book.
Adventure around the world, magic, friendship, science, and more! Almost every page had some informative footnote, cool fact, or beautifully illustrated and fun profiles of various magical and mythological creatures aka the cryptids. Some of the notes were more factual (like a mini Wikipedia)-it had everything from dictionary, historical facts (references to The Brothers Grimm, Thomas Jefferson, Marie Curie, and Charles Darwin, just to name a few), geography notes, and lots of fun information about sorcery, and lots fictional “facts”. This book was so much fun to read! The extra notes and illustrations made me feel like I was reading a video game book at times. I also liked the references to animal rights and human rights. If I had a child, I would want him/her reading this book for sure. Even thought this book clearly targets very young audience, I enjoyed it as a grown up. You are never too old to believe in unicorns and magic......
Bonus points for Lady Grey tea which is my second favorite tea right after Earl Grey tea ☕️
September 4, 2019
Wow! What do you get when you take a portion of Harry Potter's magical world, a dash of Percy Jackson's spunk and humor, and add a big cup of Marvel's Doctor Strange's beautiful, magical hand movements and spells? You get the imagination of Matt Harry! (And my new favorite sequel)
I LOVED "Sorcery for beginners" and "Cryptozoologi for beginners" had a lot to live up to in my book. Did it deliver? DID IT EVER!! It exceeded my expectations and my imagination!
In this book we focus on Trish - Big Trish - Kim. The girl bullied for her appearance and her love for SCA.
We get to know the girl under the tough exterior and we quickly fall in love with her and her drive to do the right thing despite the forces working against her.
Harry can truly write an engaging story. I couldn't put it down! I even read at work..! (For shame Tess) The story rolls of the tongue, it keeps you on your toes and you just want to find the next cryptid, the next adventure and the next danger.
Harry has managed to create a unique, fun, adventurous and - yes I'm gonna say it - educational book. I found myself laughing, covered in goosebumps and even shedding a tear.
Let one thing be very clear; both books, but especially this one; NEEDS to end up on the silver screen. If there ever was a perfect candidate "Cryptozoologist for beginners" is it! Hollywood needs to jump on this and grace my eyeballs with THE movie for a new generation.
"Yer a good egg", Matt Harry!
I LOVED "Sorcery for beginners" and "Cryptozoologi for beginners" had a lot to live up to in my book. Did it deliver? DID IT EVER!! It exceeded my expectations and my imagination!
In this book we focus on Trish - Big Trish - Kim. The girl bullied for her appearance and her love for SCA.
We get to know the girl under the tough exterior and we quickly fall in love with her and her drive to do the right thing despite the forces working against her.
Harry can truly write an engaging story. I couldn't put it down! I even read at work..! (For shame Tess) The story rolls of the tongue, it keeps you on your toes and you just want to find the next cryptid, the next adventure and the next danger.
Harry has managed to create a unique, fun, adventurous and - yes I'm gonna say it - educational book. I found myself laughing, covered in goosebumps and even shedding a tear.
Let one thing be very clear; both books, but especially this one; NEEDS to end up on the silver screen. If there ever was a perfect candidate "Cryptozoologist for beginners" is it! Hollywood needs to jump on this and grace my eyeballs with THE movie for a new generation.
"Yer a good egg", Matt Harry!
July 28, 2020
This is a teen fantasy novel featuring all of the creatures you know from urban legends, like the Loch Ness monster and some I hadn't heard of before. The teens are learning magic on the fly as they use it to protect the cryptids from a group that is hostile to them. The creatures are featured in full page vignettes with drawings sprinkled about the book as you read the part of the adventure each one is featured in. There are also boxes on some pages to further explain other aspects and concepts within the story which make it appear more like a reference guide. It was an enjoyable , intelligently written read with good vocabulary.
There is some violence in the story as they fight off the Euclideans, the anti-magic group trying to destroy the cryptids. It's nothing any kid reading it couldn't deal with. There is also a girl who is trying to come to terms with liking girls. She avoids telling her friends for a long time and worries she will be spurned by them and/or her love interest. There are no graphic descriptions or sex, just a bit of kissing/hugging. This is a sequel but can be read without having read part one. I recommend it to anyone who likes either the Harry Potter or Miss Peregrine series.(I received this in a goodreads giveaway and have been looking forward to reading it since I got it!)
There is some violence in the story as they fight off the Euclideans, the anti-magic group trying to destroy the cryptids. It's nothing any kid reading it couldn't deal with. There is also a girl who is trying to come to terms with liking girls. She avoids telling her friends for a long time and worries she will be spurned by them and/or her love interest. There are no graphic descriptions or sex, just a bit of kissing/hugging. This is a sequel but can be read without having read part one. I recommend it to anyone who likes either the Harry Potter or Miss Peregrine series.(I received this in a goodreads giveaway and have been looking forward to reading it since I got it!)
October 16, 2019
*I received a free ARC from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for my honest review*
I did read this prior to reading Sorcery for Beginners so I really had no idea what to expect, but it had me hooked from page 1. This book was so much more than I was expecting - it has adventure, humor, magic but also touches on more serious issues like coming out, being accepted, conflicts with parents, and standing up for your beliefs and values. Trisha is a great character for younger readers - she's strong but not perfect which makes her relatable. Her fears about telling her friends she is gay were based in real concerns and their reaction showed how to tell your real friends from your fake ones. All of the characters had substance and added to the story rather than just being there to support Trish. The story moves at a good pace so once your start you can't put it down. I will definitely be going back to read the first book in the series and then look forward to the release of the next book. I highly recommend librarians and teachers to add this book to their school and classroom libraries.
I did read this prior to reading Sorcery for Beginners so I really had no idea what to expect, but it had me hooked from page 1. This book was so much more than I was expecting - it has adventure, humor, magic but also touches on more serious issues like coming out, being accepted, conflicts with parents, and standing up for your beliefs and values. Trisha is a great character for younger readers - she's strong but not perfect which makes her relatable. Her fears about telling her friends she is gay were based in real concerns and their reaction showed how to tell your real friends from your fake ones. All of the characters had substance and added to the story rather than just being there to support Trish. The story moves at a good pace so once your start you can't put it down. I will definitely be going back to read the first book in the series and then look forward to the release of the next book. I highly recommend librarians and teachers to add this book to their school and classroom libraries.
November 9, 2019
Cryptozoology for Beginners (Codex Arcanum) by Matt Harry is easily on par with all of the Fantastic Beast/Harry Potter novels! Kids of all ages are going to love this series! All of the characters are fleshed out so well that most readers are going to be able to identify with at least one of the characters themselves! Such a fun book!
Someone is going about ridding the world of "mythological creatures" that actually do exist... just not easily found by humans! Thrilling on-the-go action all the way! This is one of those books that you are going to read in a hurry the first time.. and then, you're going to want to go back and totally take your time and savor EVERY word!
I highly, highly, HIGHLY recommend Cryptozoology for Beginners (Codex Arcanum) by Matt Harry!! Put this one on your tween Christmas gift list! Well, what are you doing wasting time reading this review?? Get over to your favorite book store and BUY IT NOW!! (before they run out.. and you'll have to wait for the store to get a new shipment).
Someone is going about ridding the world of "mythological creatures" that actually do exist... just not easily found by humans! Thrilling on-the-go action all the way! This is one of those books that you are going to read in a hurry the first time.. and then, you're going to want to go back and totally take your time and savor EVERY word!
I highly, highly, HIGHLY recommend Cryptozoology for Beginners (Codex Arcanum) by Matt Harry!! Put this one on your tween Christmas gift list! Well, what are you doing wasting time reading this review?? Get over to your favorite book store and BUY IT NOW!! (before they run out.. and you'll have to wait for the store to get a new shipment).
January 9, 2020
I won a copy of this book, but this is my honest review.
I am not the target audience for this book, but wanted to read it before giving to my nieces and nephews. I also had not read the first book in the series but although this one tells to make sure to read it first, it didn't seem necessary.
I believe that many kids and adults could enjoy this book. This book is full of magic, danger and animals (possibly not real). Follow along as a group of middle school kids try to save the cryptids of the world from the forces of evil. There are boys and girls in the core group so no one should feel left out.
There is a couple in the group, an angry boy (who gets nicer as the story goes along), and a girl who is teased at school trying to get up the courage to come out.
Give this book a read and see what you think.
I am not the target audience for this book, but wanted to read it before giving to my nieces and nephews. I also had not read the first book in the series but although this one tells to make sure to read it first, it didn't seem necessary.
I believe that many kids and adults could enjoy this book. This book is full of magic, danger and animals (possibly not real). Follow along as a group of middle school kids try to save the cryptids of the world from the forces of evil. There are boys and girls in the core group so no one should feel left out.
There is a couple in the group, an angry boy (who gets nicer as the story goes along), and a girl who is teased at school trying to get up the courage to come out.
Give this book a read and see what you think.
October 18, 2020
I am a big fan of cryptozoology. I also am just a huge animal lover, so this book really drew me in.
First, I feel like this book is better than the first, maybe its we are getting more of the perspective of Trish instead of Owen, not sure, but the first was already great, so to see it improved upon is awesome.
Second, this book is full of action, and really allowed for us to take a journey with the characters, full of growth from the characters and some surprising twists that I was not expecting. Given all this, it was an easy, page-turning read.
I am anxious to see where the rest of the Codex Arcanum takes us.
First, I feel like this book is better than the first, maybe its we are getting more of the perspective of Trish instead of Owen, not sure, but the first was already great, so to see it improved upon is awesome.
Second, this book is full of action, and really allowed for us to take a journey with the characters, full of growth from the characters and some surprising twists that I was not expecting. Given all this, it was an easy, page-turning read.
I am anxious to see where the rest of the Codex Arcanum takes us.
December 18, 2019
So lovely people from @inkshares send me this copy of Cryptozoology for Beginners. I finished it last night and It was so much fun. If you’re looking for a fun, action packed middle grade - this is a book for you. It’s a story of three teenage who have to go around the world and save magical creatures from some pretty bad people 🦎🦖🐉 There are drawing of the creatures and side notes all throughout the book. It’s so much fun to read. There is also book one to this series, Sorcery for Beginners but you don’t have to read them in order 😁 •
December 10, 2019
Generally, a sequel to a terrific novel is never quite as good as the first, but I must say that Matt Harry delivers. He took me on a wonderful adventure while Juliane Crump brought to life a menagerie of magical creatures: some cuddly and others that you would want to meet in a dark wooded area. Well done! Can't wait for the next in the series!
January 1, 2020
WHAT DID I JUST READ?!?! This book was even better then the first one. I literally can't think right now. I'm also hoping there's a third book. Please? I don't want to spoil but Jacinda was my favorite character. And Trish... And Perry. Oh, and Bryan. I'm never gonna stop, because they were all my favorite!
February 4, 2020
Halfway through the book, I stopped reading it for a while. I looked for some summaries online to see if I basically read the whole book without actually reading it. Then I went back to the blurb and immediately, my brain forced me to keep reading until the end.
Rating: 4.99
Rating: 4.99
September 12, 2020
A fun sequel to Sorcery for Beginners. I definitely enjoyed this continuation of the first novel and seeing the characters grow and undertake a new journey to save endangered cryptids. I am thankful for this Goodreads Giveaway!
October 16, 2019
An excellent book part fantasy and part non fiction that kept me hooked till the end.
It's well written and informative, a great read for both adults and children.
Highly recommended!
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.
It's well written and informative, a great read for both adults and children.
Highly recommended!
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.
August 2, 2024
I love the formatting of this book. If the author decided to continue writing for this world I would keep reading them because he did really well in incorporating a lot of the different magical lore that comes up when you read fantasy!
July 5, 2022
It's with some reservation I have to go with three stars here but I do feel that while the concept was fantastic, the execution overall left a little to be desired.
The Euclidians are still the Big Bad at the core of this book, only this time they're targeting Cryptids for experimentation purposes. The Sorcerers best game plan is beating them to the punch, collecting the creatures first for what amounts to a top secret magical zoo for their own preservation. Our kid heroes from the first book are recruited for the capture, along with a surprising addition to the team and a new, mysterious too-cool-for-school team leader.
Listen. I love the idea of cryptozoology, but outside of the occasional info plate, we really don't get nearly as much cool cryptid content as you'd expect with a book with this title. The standout, which I will fight anyone who dares oppose me on this--is the jackalope. Everything else gets a blink-and-you'll-miss-it treatment. The field work feels like it gets rushed through.
As for the characters, some readers may do better if they don't quite so long between the first and the second book. For me, I almost needed a reintroduction to everyone, and since the narrative is so focused on Trish, we really don't get very much about anyone else.
At least some of this is kind of forgivable for me...I dig the nerdy cheeky footnote/textbook style format. It's almost like the contemporary teen version of Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell, and a decent-ish concept will take me pretty far. Unfortunately, I just feel like they did Trish a bad turn with the love interest plotline. As much as I'm ready to celebrate some representation, I don't think this was handled super well here. For most of the book the two Queer characters are closeted. Trish's first attempt at coming out was by surprising her best friend with a kiss (without any explanation) and then doesn't at all examine why this maybe didn't go well. Then she's pressured to come out by a talking cryptid and another character. And then, *that* character then remains closeted themselves after they pushed Trish to come out. I don't know--it's just awkwardly handled. I felt everyone deserved better. As a straight person, there's only so much I can speak on here but I feel like it's probably a safe bet that for someone very insecure about coming out, it's probably not super common for them to put themselves out there in that way before they are VERY sure of how it will be received. There was also so much fat-shaming/sizeism? on display here---even when you put those comments in the mouth of a single character we already know is unlikeable, it eventually hits a point where you're setting a tone.
I feel like with the sequel the author was trying something out---I'm not sure the experiment worked.
The Euclidians are still the Big Bad at the core of this book, only this time they're targeting Cryptids for experimentation purposes. The Sorcerers best game plan is beating them to the punch, collecting the creatures first for what amounts to a top secret magical zoo for their own preservation. Our kid heroes from the first book are recruited for the capture, along with a surprising addition to the team and a new, mysterious too-cool-for-school team leader.
Listen. I love the idea of cryptozoology, but outside of the occasional info plate, we really don't get nearly as much cool cryptid content as you'd expect with a book with this title. The standout, which I will fight anyone who dares oppose me on this--is the jackalope. Everything else gets a blink-and-you'll-miss-it treatment. The field work feels like it gets rushed through.
As for the characters, some readers may do better if they don't quite so long between the first and the second book. For me, I almost needed a reintroduction to everyone, and since the narrative is so focused on Trish, we really don't get very much about anyone else.
At least some of this is kind of forgivable for me...I dig the nerdy cheeky footnote/textbook style format. It's almost like the contemporary teen version of Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell, and a decent-ish concept will take me pretty far. Unfortunately, I just feel like they did Trish a bad turn with the love interest plotline. As much as I'm ready to celebrate some representation, I don't think this was handled super well here. For most of the book the two Queer characters are closeted. Trish's first attempt at coming out was by surprising her best friend with a kiss (without any explanation) and then doesn't at all examine why this maybe didn't go well. Then she's pressured to come out by a talking cryptid and another character. And then, *that* character then remains closeted themselves after they pushed Trish to come out. I don't know--it's just awkwardly handled. I felt everyone deserved better. As a straight person, there's only so much I can speak on here but I feel like it's probably a safe bet that for someone very insecure about coming out, it's probably not super common for them to put themselves out there in that way before they are VERY sure of how it will be received. There was also so much fat-shaming/sizeism? on display here---even when you put those comments in the mouth of a single character we already know is unlikeable, it eventually hits a point where you're setting a tone.
I feel like with the sequel the author was trying something out---I'm not sure the experiment worked.
October 2, 2019
Downloaded in error (I thought this was my second non-fiction book on the subject in weeks) I stuck with this novel til the end, despite several elements. The sidebars for one have to go down as inherently annoying – forever interrupting our heroes from book one and their search worldwide for cryptids in the face of their enemies. They also make proceedings rather repetitive at times, and only really work once when they suggest we write to our MPs and campaign for more lawful magic – before then they had patronisingly told us about our world in case we were all under ten, but that one time actually managed to pretend that this book's world and ours were the same. The storytelling throughout is very loose (what my mother would deem naive) – forever ignoring the three-act structure, dumping the new character from the prologue as if he was something made of dirt, and so on. It's very, very baggy, and could have lost a hundred pages of the 400pp here and not suffered one bit.
It's biggest quirk worth commenting on, however, was the way it harked back to the prequel so often and proved I'd never read it, but at the same time seemed to fill my mind with deja vu. It's not boring or ploddingly generic, but it really made me feel I'd seen this world of technophages against magicians before now. So while not being something I was au fait with, this universe seemed really familiar. I'd recommend it for young genre fans, and the lesbian side-issues were handled well, but boy I'd like to take a red pen to it.
It's biggest quirk worth commenting on, however, was the way it harked back to the prequel so often and proved I'd never read it, but at the same time seemed to fill my mind with deja vu. It's not boring or ploddingly generic, but it really made me feel I'd seen this world of technophages against magicians before now. So while not being something I was au fait with, this universe seemed really familiar. I'd recommend it for young genre fans, and the lesbian side-issues were handled well, but boy I'd like to take a red pen to it.
October 23, 2019
My 13 yr old daughter is a huge cryptozoology fan. She liked that this book was not only a thrilling story with lots of action and mystery, but that it also included facts, stats, profiles and more on each creature throughout the book. These sidebars added an education aspect to the story. The categories covered science, history, geography and more which we greatly appreciated, seeing as we are a homeschool family. Despite the warning in the front we did not read the first book in this series before reading this one, but do plan to find it at the library now. It is a rather long book, 384 pages, so we haven't finished it quite yet but we are eager to find out how it ends. The story is about a group of teenage sorcerer's who are on an adventure to save the world's magical creatures from extinction. They travel around North America collecting the famous cryptids. Some of these creatures include the Jackalope, Chupacabra (my daughters favorite), Bigfoot and more. But when another group of teen sorcerers vanishest, the teens set out across the sea to uncover why the Euclideans have been abducting and experimenting on creatures like the Unicorn and Sphinx. We would love to see more books from this author. It is well written and you don't want to put it down because you are eager to find out what happens next. If I ever do a cryptozoology class this is definitely a book I will recommend to students.
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did-not-finish
October 29, 2019"Cryptozoology for Beginners" is interesting conceptually, but its execution is lacking in depth and tone. Two of the smarter characters speak with the same stilted vocabulary and nuance that they are almost indistinguishable even though one is an adult and the other is an eighth grader. The side bars were intriguing until the reader realizes that they do not enhance the narrative in any meaningful way, aside from shamelessly promoting the first book in the series, "Sorcery for Beginners". Reread Harry Potter instead.
September 25, 2024
The writing is wonderful and the world is imaginative and fun. It was tons of fun to read with my daughter but I would have enjoyed it on my own.
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