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Follow the Lady
Novella set in the Incryptid World, included with Imaginary Numbers
55 pages, Unknown Binding
First published February 1, 2020
153 people want to read
About the author
Seanan McGuire
508 books17.1k followersHi! 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. :(
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. :(
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 38 reviews
March 8, 2020
A short story, 8.25 in the InCryptid urban fantasy series revolving around the mishaps of the extended Price family, eccentric cryptozoologists who safeguard the world of magical creatures living in secret among humans. The focus is on Antimony, Sam, Cylia, Fern, and James leaving Maine and heading to Portland.
If you're interested, there is a chronological listing of the InCryptid books on my website.
My Take
McGuire cracked me up, revealing James' naiveté on that road trip. Although I am confused about that retro trailer. Is this guy trading his retro trailer for Cylia's avocado monstrosity? Or did the kids already own a retro trailer?
It's a fascinating back history on events in That Ain't Witchcraft , 8, that will have repercussions on every bargain made with the crossroads.
I suspect a foreshadowing of what will be coming in future stories, well, future after Imaginary Numbers , 9. I am so hoping for a positive result on Grandma Alice's hunt.
It's all due to McGuire using first person protagonist point-of-view from Annie's perspective, since she's the one filling us all in on the family history and what's been happening since Annie went undercover in the circus through to the battle with the crossroads. A set-up for the future.
I am rather confused when Cynthia says her father was three dozen trees and her mother is a tree growing out back. So how does that make her Huldrafolk? If a Huldrafolk ends up turning to stone?
Hmmm, I'm wondering if Annie's thoughts about the trees mean those trees are Cynthia's people??
The Story
A thrown rod strands our travelers in Buckley Township where they meet up with Grandma Alice.
The Characters
Antimony Price, a cryptozoologist who went undercover in the Spenser and Smith Family Carnival to apprehend a murderer and defer the attention of the Covenant. And recently discovered she's a fire sorcerer. Sam Taylor is Annie's boyfriend, a fūri trapeze artist who hates shoes, bananas, and spending too much time around humans. Emery Spenser is Sam's grandmother and the owner of the Spenser and Smith Family Carnival whom we met in Magic For Nothing , 6.
Cylia Mackie is a jink who twists luck, striving for good, balancing the bad. Her husband, Tav, wasn't so lucky; he died of a massive heart attack. Fern, a sylph, doesn't drive — her species propensity for shedding density doesn't make this a good idea. James Smith is an ice sorcerer who had been forced to live in New Gravesend, Maine, as a result of a bad generational bargain. He's been adopted by the Prices and is now the Stolen God.
Cousin Artie is a half-incubus who lives in his parents' basement because he's terrified of being around girls. Jane Price, Kevin's sister, is his mother. Evie and Kevin Price are Antimony's parents. Verity, a professional dancer, is one of Annie's sisters...who had escalated the situation in Chaos Choreography , 5.
Buckley Township is...
...where the Healys and Prices were originally located and where three generations of Healys were murdered by the Covenant. They still have a few houses there: the Healy house is rented out while the Parrish house is kept for Grandma Alice Price-Healy (born in 1938), who is Jane's and Kevin's mother who has been hunting throughout time for Grandpa Thomas, a full-fledged member of the Covenant — and fire sorcerer who was tricked into making a bargain with the crossroads. Jane and Kevin were actually raised by Aunt Laura and the Campbell Family Carnival.
The Red Angel is a cryptid bar in Buckley run by Cynthia, a Huldrafolk whose mother built the bar. (Huldrafolk are originally from Finland and will eventually turn to stone.) The tailypo, a.k.a., the American lemur, help protect the Parrish house. Aeslin mice are a sentient race whose purpose in living is the religious worship and recording every move made by the Healy-Price family. Great-great-great-great grandma Beth Evans was a Covenant member who first befriended the Aeslin mice.
Aunt Mary Dunlavy is a crossroads ghost who died in Buckley, as did Aunt Rose, a hitchhiking ghost. Umeko, a Jorōgumo and carnival performer, was a murderer. Therianthropes are shapeshifting cryptids. Gentling, Maine, is home to finfolk ("We Both Go Down Together", 0.09).
The Covenant of St George is...
...a global organization of monster hunters who loath anything not remotely human. Leonard Cunningham is high up in the organization.
The Title
The title is confusing. Without refreshing my brain, I was thinking it meant the road as per Aunt Rose and the Ghost Roads series. Now I wonder if it meant to follow Grandma Alice? To "Follow the Lady"? I know I want to know if she'll find Grandpa Thomas...
If you're interested, there is a chronological listing of the InCryptid books on my website.
My Take
McGuire cracked me up, revealing James' naiveté on that road trip. Although I am confused about that retro trailer. Is this guy trading his retro trailer for Cylia's avocado monstrosity? Or did the kids already own a retro trailer?
It's a fascinating back history on events in That Ain't Witchcraft , 8, that will have repercussions on every bargain made with the crossroads.
I suspect a foreshadowing of what will be coming in future stories, well, future after Imaginary Numbers , 9. I am so hoping for a positive result on Grandma Alice's hunt.
It's all due to McGuire using first person protagonist point-of-view from Annie's perspective, since she's the one filling us all in on the family history and what's been happening since Annie went undercover in the circus through to the battle with the crossroads. A set-up for the future.
I am rather confused when Cynthia says her father was three dozen trees and her mother is a tree growing out back. So how does that make her Huldrafolk? If a Huldrafolk ends up turning to stone?
Hmmm, I'm wondering if Annie's thoughts about the trees mean those trees are Cynthia's people??
The Story
A thrown rod strands our travelers in Buckley Township where they meet up with Grandma Alice.
The Characters
Antimony Price, a cryptozoologist who went undercover in the Spenser and Smith Family Carnival to apprehend a murderer and defer the attention of the Covenant. And recently discovered she's a fire sorcerer. Sam Taylor is Annie's boyfriend, a fūri trapeze artist who hates shoes, bananas, and spending too much time around humans. Emery Spenser is Sam's grandmother and the owner of the Spenser and Smith Family Carnival whom we met in Magic For Nothing , 6.
Cylia Mackie is a jink who twists luck, striving for good, balancing the bad. Her husband, Tav, wasn't so lucky; he died of a massive heart attack. Fern, a sylph, doesn't drive — her species propensity for shedding density doesn't make this a good idea. James Smith is an ice sorcerer who had been forced to live in New Gravesend, Maine, as a result of a bad generational bargain. He's been adopted by the Prices and is now the Stolen God.
Cousin Artie is a half-incubus who lives in his parents' basement because he's terrified of being around girls. Jane Price, Kevin's sister, is his mother. Evie and Kevin Price are Antimony's parents. Verity, a professional dancer, is one of Annie's sisters...who had escalated the situation in Chaos Choreography , 5.
Buckley Township is...
...where the Healys and Prices were originally located and where three generations of Healys were murdered by the Covenant. They still have a few houses there: the Healy house is rented out while the Parrish house is kept for Grandma Alice Price-Healy (born in 1938), who is Jane's and Kevin's mother who has been hunting throughout time for Grandpa Thomas, a full-fledged member of the Covenant — and fire sorcerer who was tricked into making a bargain with the crossroads. Jane and Kevin were actually raised by Aunt Laura and the Campbell Family Carnival.
The Red Angel is a cryptid bar in Buckley run by Cynthia, a Huldrafolk whose mother built the bar. (Huldrafolk are originally from Finland and will eventually turn to stone.) The tailypo, a.k.a., the American lemur, help protect the Parrish house. Aeslin mice are a sentient race whose purpose in living is the religious worship and recording every move made by the Healy-Price family. Great-great-great-great grandma Beth Evans was a Covenant member who first befriended the Aeslin mice.
Aunt Mary Dunlavy is a crossroads ghost who died in Buckley, as did Aunt Rose, a hitchhiking ghost. Umeko, a Jorōgumo and carnival performer, was a murderer. Therianthropes are shapeshifting cryptids. Gentling, Maine, is home to finfolk ("We Both Go Down Together", 0.09).
The Covenant of St George is...
...a global organization of monster hunters who loath anything not remotely human. Leonard Cunningham is high up in the organization.
The Title
The title is confusing. Without refreshing my brain, I was thinking it meant the road as per Aunt Rose and the Ghost Roads series. Now I wonder if it meant to follow Grandma Alice? To "Follow the Lady"? I know I want to know if she'll find Grandpa Thomas...
March 21, 2020
I hope Grandma finds Thomas!
February 18, 2021
Follow the Lady is a short story included at the end of Imaginary Numbers, though it actually takes place following That Ain't Witchcraft. Once again, we're back to Annie (Antimony) Price's perspective, and I love it.
Annie and her friends are on their way home, following a battle with the Crossroads. On the way, they run across Grandma Alice, a very unique and terrifying character in her own right. Here an exchanging of information occurs, and we're once again reminded of all the reasons to never get on Alice's bad side.
This was a fantastic short. I honestly would love more road trip stories from this crew. Wait, is that a possibility? I haven't looked through all of the short stories yet, so I'm going to sincerely hope that this is a possibility, because I need more of it in my life.
Check out more reviews over at Quirky Cat's Fat Stacks
Annie and her friends are on their way home, following a battle with the Crossroads. On the way, they run across Grandma Alice, a very unique and terrifying character in her own right. Here an exchanging of information occurs, and we're once again reminded of all the reasons to never get on Alice's bad side.
This was a fantastic short. I honestly would love more road trip stories from this crew. Wait, is that a possibility? I haven't looked through all of the short stories yet, so I'm going to sincerely hope that this is a possibility, because I need more of it in my life.
Check out more reviews over at Quirky Cat's Fat Stacks
December 18, 2020
i want to be this grandma when i grow up!
July 20, 2020
This is a bonus novella at the end of Imaginary Numbers, though it is chronologically before that story. It is picks up Antimony's trip to (eventually) home, after her amusement park stint that was after burning down the circus to ditch the Covenant operatives. She is traveling with her boyfriend Sam, fellow wizard James, and friends Fern and Cylia. Grandma Alice (looking younger than Antimony) makes an appearance before she leaves to resume her search for her husband, who has been stranded somewhere in some dimension for decades. Lovely!
April 8, 2022
Narrative glue between Magic for Nothing and Imaginary Numbers
Follow the Lady is the story included at the end of Imaginary Numbers. It provides a little narrative glue between Magic for Nothing and Imaginary Numbers. Although it follows the novel Imaginary Numbers in the book, it takes place before the novel and mainly serves to position members of the Price family (along with James Smith, who, like so many strays, has been more or less adopted by the Prices) for the beginning of Imaginary Numbers. (And also, to a lesser extent, Spelunking Through Hell.) I would advise reading Follow the Lady before Imaginary Numbers.
Follow the Lady is the story included at the end of Imaginary Numbers. It provides a little narrative glue between Magic for Nothing and Imaginary Numbers. Although it follows the novel Imaginary Numbers in the book, it takes place before the novel and mainly serves to position members of the Price family (along with James Smith, who, like so many strays, has been more or less adopted by the Prices) for the beginning of Imaginary Numbers. (And also, to a lesser extent, Spelunking Through Hell.) I would advise reading Follow the Lady before Imaginary Numbers.
May 31, 2021
This novella was a bonus story at the end of Imaginary Numbers. As often happens with these stories, it felt like it was filling in a gap in the larger Incryptid story, but it didn't necessarily feel like a story on its own. Still, it was fun to see a little progress in a major plot arc for someone who is at best a minor character in the novels - though she features more heavily in the short stories.
February 5, 2022
I just love these stories! The Price family are a delight, all their murderous, vicious selves. Do NOT mess with them.
This is Annie, Sam, Cylia, Fern and James making their way across the middle states en route to Portland. it's a vignette of their journey, with some delightful surprise guests, and (hopefully) a clue to a soon-to-be written book!
This is Annie, Sam, Cylia, Fern and James making their way across the middle states en route to Portland. it's a vignette of their journey, with some delightful surprise guests, and (hopefully) a clue to a soon-to-be written book!
May 1, 2020
This is a fun, short novella set in the InCryptid world. In some ways it covers the time before Imaginary Numbers and also hints at what is to come in the next book. If you are a Grandma Alice fan then you will enjoy this:) Great read and I can't wait for the next book!
March 21, 2021
I really like Alice. I always have. I can't wait for Spelunking through Hell, which, I'm assuming, is her book because Thomas' disappearance is brought up so many times and she's literally been said to be spelunking in Hell.
March 2, 2020
Cute short story filling in some blanks about Buckley and Annie’s road trip home after finishing up in Maine. Looking forward to an Alice and Thomas resolution at some point.
March 14, 2020
There wasn't much plot to this one, more of a these are the consequences from Annie's last book That Ain't Witchcraft, but it left me wanting an Alice-Thomas book too...
March 26, 2020
Nice little filler story for Annie between her last book and Imaginary Numbers. Nothing earth shattering though.
April 5, 2020
Short bit, maybe setting up for a future story.
Showed me some loose ends from the novels that I hadn’t thought about, and sets out to tie them up.
Showed me some loose ends from the novels that I hadn’t thought about, and sets out to tie them up.
April 19, 2020
This is my personal favorite "InCryptid" novella yet, I really hope that "Alice" and "Thomas" finally get to find their way back to each other someday soon.
May 3, 2020
I sure hope this means we'll someday get an Alice book.
May 15, 2020
Loved watching Annie's travels back home, and meeting up with Grandma Alice! Really fantastic story, especially given the bombshell from the last book about Grandpa Thomas!
May 24, 2020
Annie, Sam, and their friends meet up with Alice Price-Healy, Annie's grandmother, to tell her that Thomas might be alive.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 25, 2020
A good palet cleanser after the intensity of Imaginary Numbers. I enjoyed this bit of fluff and I'm hoping it means more Alice and Thomas in future.
May 26, 2020
Nice bit of back fill, but a book about Grandma is really itching to be written don't you think?
Read
June 2, 2020Not sure why this isn't in the order for the series. But I don't find GoodReads to be easy to edit in any way so I will just ignore it.
July 19, 2020
A fun novella about Annie's journey home from Maine. A more fleshed out character study of Grams Alice makes the book worth reading.
July 30, 2020
Included with Imaginary Numbers.
Antimony returning home from the carnival, and exchanging important information with a family member.
Antimony returning home from the carnival, and exchanging important information with a family member.
August 3, 2020
A short novella that fills in a few gaps and opens one wider. Fun read.
August 11, 2020
This novella follows Annie's burning the carnival to protect everyone from the Covenant. Her trip home with her new family and love.
November 26, 2020
Seriously love these characters.
December 14, 2020
This was a nice novella. I enjoyed it.
January 24, 2021
Another look at Price family history and how Annie shares the knowledge she's gained about the crossroads with her grandmother.
January 25, 2021
3.5 stars
February 19, 2021
This doesn't have a lot of plot, but it's important character development. Can't wait for Alice's novel.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 38 reviews